Turning Point Brands Supports FDA Effort to Restrict Youth Access to Tobacco Products

Turning Point Brands (NYSE:TPB), a leading producer of Other Tobacco Products (OTP), supports the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s efforts to reduce youth access and appeal to tobacco products.

Since July 2017, FDA has embraced a "continuum of risk” approach to tobacco products, with the stated public health goal of encouraging consumers to switch from high-risk combustible cigarettes to lower risk products. This objective is consistent with TPB’s business model of offering adult consumers lower risk alternatives to combustible cigarettes. While Commissioner Gottlieb has acknowledged that vapor products, and specifically flavored vapor products, play an important role in the switching process, he has also expressed concern that flavored cartridge-based vapor systems may be appealing to minors.

In response to this concern, today the FDA proposed regulations to restrict sales of flavored vapor products to channels it believes are well equipped to manage restrictions on youth access. As a leading provider to age-restricted vapor stores and tobacco outlets, this shift will likely increase TPB’s role in the vapor market. TPB takes this increased responsibility seriously and looks forward to working with the FDA as it continues to pursue its public health goal of moving smokers away from combustible cigarettes towards products that lie at the lower end of the continuum risk.

As a leader in the vapor industry, TPB consistently employs robust third-party age verification systems for all of its online properties and requires its bricks-and-mortar locations utilize thorough age-verification procedures. Additionally, TPB assisted in developing the Vapor Technology Association’s Marketing Standards and has consistently played a key role in encouraging other companies in the industry to be proactive in preventing youth access and appeal to vapor products.

About Turning Point Brands, Inc.

Louisville, Kentucky-based Turning Point Brands, Inc. (NYSE:TPB) is a leading U.S. provider of Other Tobacco Products. TPB, through its three focus brands, Stoker’s® in Smokeless products, Zig-Zag® in Smoking products and the VaporBeast® distribution engine in NewGen products, generates solid cash flow which it uses to finance acquisitions, increase brand support and strengthen its capital structure. TPB does not sell cigarettes. More information about the company is available at its corporate website, www.turningpointbrands.com.

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