The government wants to crack down on candy-flavored e-cigs and menthol cigarettes in a huge move against tobacco products

Reuters

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has focused on how e-cigs appeal to young people.

• America's food and drug regulator is proposing to crack down on the sale of flavored e-cigs like the Juul at convenience stores and gas stations, citing their skyrocketing popularity among teens.
• The FDA is also seeking to ban menthol cigarettes, and is looking into restrictions on flavored cigars, too.
• The moves are designed to combat a variety of products that the government says contribute to kids being hooked on nicotine.

In an attempt to address what government regulators have called an "epidemic" of teen vaping, the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced broad plans to restrict access to flavored e-cigs and conventional cigarettes.

The FDA is seeking to restrict sales of flavored vapes to locations where all customers are over 18. The government also wants to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, according to a statement.

In anticipation of the FDA's move, Juul Labs, the biggest seller of e-cigarettes, announced this week that it was suspending sales of its flavored products at retail stores.

Many of the proposals made on Thursday will still need to go through the full government rule-making process, and are likely to face pushback.