The United States Food and Drug Administration has warned three online pharmacies that sell nicotine lollipops via the Internet that that it considers their products illegal and that their sale must stop immediately.
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In its explanation of the decision, the FDA said it acted because they are dispensed without a doctor’s prescription, contain a form of nicotine called salicylate that is not used in FDA-approved smoking cessation products, and because confectionery-like products present a risk of accidental use by children. They also contain natural sweeteners, and flavourings in a sugar-free base.
Statements posted on the pharmacies’ Internet sites say the products are promoted as aids for smoking cessation or to treat nicotine addiction. They have also been ordered to stop selling nicotine lip balm.
These online claims include that the products help alleviate the “hand to mouth fixation” associated with smoking and are a “convenient, tasty way” to replace the cigarette habit.
The three pharmacies, Ashland Drugs in Ashland, Mississippi, Bird’s Hill Pharmacy in Needham, Massachusets, and The Compounding Pharmacy in Aurora, Illinois, have been given 15 days by the FDA to inform the government that they are stopping sales or risk further legal action.
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By GlobalDataMeanwhile, the food and drug is also reviewing the legality of other nicotine products, such as nicotine lozenges sold by a Virginia company.
By Monica Dobie, just-food.com correspondent
