Cloves, Other Flavored Cigarettes About to Disappear from Store Shelves

U.S. smokers who want flavored cigarettes have only a couple of days to stock up: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is ordering cloves and other flavored cigarettes pulled from the marketplace by Sept. 22 as it enforces the provisions of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

The Woodland (Calif.) Daily Democrat reported Sept. 16 that the swiftness of the ban has taken some retailers and customers by surprise. Federal lawmakers sought the prohibition on flavors like cherry, grape, chocolate, and cloves (but not menthol) by citing their appeal to children.

The FDA notified tobacco sellers this week that “manufacturers, distributors, and retailers may be subject to injunction actions, civil money penalties, and/or criminal prosecution for violating the requirements of the Act.”

About $140 million worth of clove cigarettes had been sold in the U.S. annually. Kretek International, a clove cigarette maker, is seeking to dodge the ban by manufacturing flavored cigars that are roughly the size of a cigarette.