Vuse Solo becomes the first e-cig authorized by the FDA — after doing what Juul didn’t

Scratch the mango e-juice... For the first time, the FDA has authorized an e-cigarette to stay on the US market. Refresher: Juul, Puff, and others still don't have the green light. The FDA authorized three Vuse vaping products from Camel-maker R.J. Reynolds, one of the world's largest cigarette companies. Unlike competitors, this vape is far from “cute”:

• The Vuse Solo e-cig... looks more like an emergency medical syringe — no bright colors and no puffy-cloud illustrations.
• The approved cartridges are strictly tobacco-flavored. A far cry from watermelon ice or cotton candy. Still, they contain as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes.
• The verdict: FDA said the health benefit of helping smokers ditch tobacco cigs outweighs the risk of getting kids hooked... on tobacco-flavored Vuse Solo.

First Vuse... The landmark decision means the FDA thinks some vapes could offer more benefits than risks — keyword: “some." The FDA rejected 10 other flavored Vuse products, which are popular with teens. As global tobacco use falls, smokers are trading paper for puffable nicotine tech. The e-cig market was worth $14B last year, and is expected to hit $22.5B by 2026. So far the FDA hasn't been sipping the e-juice.

• The Vape Purge: Over the past few months, the FDA has ordered thousands of vaping products off the market, including Puff Bars.
• Puff has surpassed Juul as a teen favorite thanks to its candy-like flavors, cheap disposable bars, and colorful packaging.