FDA Snuffs Out Sale of Bidis Cigarettes

The FDA has halted sales of four cigarette brands known as Sutra Bidis, marking the first use of its authority to take tobacco products off the market.
The move will end import, sale, and distribution of Jash International's thin, hand-rolled cigarette products Sutra Bidis Red, Sutra Bidis Menthol, Sutra Bidis Red Cone, and Sutra Bidis Menthol Cone.
"Historically, tobacco companies controlled which products came on and off the market without any oversight," Mitch Zeller, JD, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said in a statement issued Friday. "But the Tobacco Control Act gave the FDA, a science-based regulatory agency, the authority to review applications and determine which new tobacco products may be sold and distributed under the law in order to protect public health."
The manufacturer failed to provide the information necessary to show its products were "substantially equivalent" to other accepted tobacco products in terms of characteristics and public health issues, according to the FDA.
The agency said it would give retailers 30 days to liquidate their inventory of previously purchased Sutra Bidis but that it would enforce the order against further sales or distribution.