7-Eleven Coalitions Petition FDA for Flavored-Tobacco Clarification
Citing a penalty risk to retailers, coalition urges the FDA to issue a regulation implementing a ban on tobacco products that contain certain flavorings.

ROCKVILLE, MD – The National Coalition of Associations of 7-Eleven Franchisees and the New England 7-Eleven Franchise Owners Association filed a formal petition last month with the FDA, asking them to clarify the tobacco product standards provisions of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

FDA Week reports that under a new law, the FDA has banned tobacco products that contain “an artificial or natural flavor or an herb or spice...that is a characterizing flavor of the tobacco product or tobacco smoke.” Retailers found selling the banned products are subject to jail time and fines as high as $10,000, along with civil penalties of up to $250,000 per violation. However, the petition states that some products are not clearly labeled as containing flavors. The Coalition said that without absolute clarity from the FDA, retailers are at risk for "substantial and unnecessary economic losses" even when acting in good faith to comply with the Act.

Courtesy of NACS