LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning parents to keep an eye out for products that may look like candy but are actually nicotine-based.
The FDA last month sent a warning letter to VPR Brands, one of the companies that makes nicotine gummies, advising that the products were being sold illegally, according to CNN.
By law, manufacturers are required to submit an application and have it approved by the FDA before a tobacco product can be legally marketed in the United States. The agency said VPR had not asked for this "premarket authorization" for the gummies.
"Nicotine gummies are a public health crisis just waiting to happen among our nation's youth, particularly as we head into a new school year," FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said last month.
Each of the gummies had 1 milligram of nicotine, and they came 12 to a package. The FDA said 1 to 4 milligrams of nicotine could be severely toxic to children under 6 as well as to older children, depending on their weight.
VPR Brands did not respond to CNN's request for comment, and the website now says the gummies have been discontinued.
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