WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday announced its first marketing authorization for fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes intended for adult smokers, clearing products made by Los Angeles-based Glas Inc. The decision followed months of appeals to President Donald Trump from the vaping industry.

The authorized e-cigarettes come in mango, blueberry, Classic Menthol and Fresh Menthol flavors. Glas Inc. plans to market them under the names Gold, Sapphire, Classic Menthol and Fresh Menthol. Before this authorization, the FDA had only granted marketing authorization to tobacco- or menthol-flavored vaping products, most of them produced by manufacturers including Juul and Altria.

The FDA stated that the authorization is not an approval or endorsement, and that the products are intended only for adults seeking to quit or reduce cigarette smoking. The agency said Glas Inc.'s digital age-verification system requires users to verify their age with a government ID on a cellphone, and that the authorized e-cigarettes can only be used when connected via Bluetooth to the user's verified phone.

The FDA said in a press release that it will closely monitor how the authorized products are marketed and will act appropriately if the company fails to comply with any applicable statutory or regulatory requirements. The agency added that it may suspend or withdraw authorization if it determines that continued marketing of the products is no longer appropriate for the protection of public health, including if youth use increases or if the benefits no longer outweigh the risks.

"Ultimately, it's critical that we remain vigilant in protecting young people, including closely monitoring the use of authorized products," Truth Initiative representative Kathy Crosby said. Health groups and parent organizations have long identified flavors as a driver of underage vaping in the U.S. Teen vaping rates have dropped to a 10-year low, following a surge in 2019.

Battery-powered electronic cigarettes have been sold in the U.S. since 2007, and middle and high school students have used them for years. Vaping companies have argued that their products can help reduce adult smoking-related harm. Smoking causes an estimated 480,000 U.S. deaths annually from cancer, lung disease and heart disease.

As a presidential candidate, Trump vowed to "save" vaping and received support from e-cigarette companies, shop owners and vaping enthusiasts. Manufacturers have urged the Republican administration to relax restrictions on vaping products, and the Vapor Technology Association met with administration officials in recent weeks to request further action on flavors. Under President Joe Biden, the FDA denied more than one million marketing applications for candy- or fruit-flavored vaping products.

In March, the FDA released its first-ever guidance to industry on flavors, stating that menthol, coffee, mint and spice flavors could appeal to adult smokers. The guidance also stated that sweeter flavors such as fruit, candy and dessert flavors pose risks because they tend to appeal to teens. According to government data, most U.S. teens who vape continue to use unauthorized fruit- and candy-flavored products, which are technically illegal but are widely available in inexpensive disposable brands typically imported from China.