IKE Tech moves to commercialize age gated vapes amid FDA regulatory shift

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reluctant to greenlight flavored vapes. The caution in granting licenses is due to concerns that colorful, candy-flavoured vapes could make e-cigarettes attractive to children.

However, earlier this month, the FDA published draft guidance that suggests age-gating directly on vaping devices could see more flavored vapes approved in the U.S. Wired reports that IKE Tech and the FDA are discussing ways to bring its age-gating technology to market.

Despite a backlog of applications, with some dating back over five years, only around 40 or so vape products have been permitted by the FDA to be sold, all of which are tobacco or menthol flavoured. According to Reuters, U.S. vape maker Glas was added to the authorized list this month, with Glas using age-gating technology on its devices.

IKE Tech meanwhile is turning to the blockchain and biometrics. The process would rely on a phone camera to scan ID and to take a video of a vape user’s face. Once identity and age is verified, that information would be turned into anonymized tokens. IKE’s tech integrates a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) chip system built into the vape so the device can connect to a mobile app, enabling “secure, continuous age and identity verification.”

An identity service such as ID.me or Clear would handle the processing of the anonymized tokens and the information they contain. IKE Tech is a partnership between Ispire Technology and Chemular. Ispire Technology’s CEO Michael Wang told Wired that since everything is tokenized, personal private information is not communicated.

Previously, IKE Tech surveyed 5,000 respondents across the U.S. and UK, including 500 American teenagers aged 15 to 17. It found 46 percent of respondents support age checks at the point of sale, while 49 percent favor verification at the point of use. The survey also found that 73 percent of respondents think underage users purchase vapes online, while 67 percent say they buy them in stores with little or no age verification.

Shufti has positioned itself for age verification at checkout via real-time age confirmation and ID validation. As ecommerce is a major part of vape sales, the company says such systems like checkbox age gates and self-attestation pop-ups are outdated. It argues that age verification is becoming a “fundamental compliance control” extending beyond tobacco and e-cigarettes and across age-restricted products.

IKE Tech signs commercialization deal for its age-gating vape technology

Age-gated vapes may become more common with a new commercialization deal. IKE Tech and Charlie’s Holdings have signed a licensing agreement to commercialize the blockchain‑based, continuous age‑gated vape system in the U.S.

The system is built into Charlie’s SBX disposable vape. In a multi‑center Human Factors Validation Study, the technology reportedly blocked all underage activation attempts, achieved 100 percent successful age verification among adults, and automatically deactivated devices when inactive or disconnected. Usability scores were also high, with 91 percent of participants rating the app easy to use. However, errors occurred in one percent of task attempts.

Charlie’s plans to test‑market the age‑gated SBX line this spring and later integrate the technology into its PACHA-branded Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) products. The company argues that effective continuous age‑gating could unlock FDA authorization for flavored vapes by demonstrating strong youth‑access protections.

“We chose to partner with Charlie’s because Charlie’s non-nicotine SBX product line enables immediate deployment of age-gated technology to the US market, ahead of standard PMTA timelines,” said John Patterson, president of IKE.

Ryan Stump, Charlie’s COO, commented: “We believe age-gating is both a responsible business practice as well as a significant competitive advantage for Charlie’s.”

Henry Sicignano, president of Charlie’s, said there is a major gap in the market for technologies that fully address the FDA’s concerns about youth access — a gap that could translate into a multibillion‑dollar opportunity for flavored vape products that simply cannot be used by underage individuals.

“We believe Charlie’s could become the first company to demonstrate to the FDA that age-gated flavored vape products are indeed ‘appropriate for the protection of public health.’ Such a success would not only be game changing for Charlie’s, but also transformational for the entire industry,” he said.

Article Topics

age verification  |  biometrics  |  blockchain  |  face biometrics  |  identity verification  |  IKE Tech  |  mobile app  |  regulation  |  Shufti