The maker of blu e-cigarettes plans to tighten its sales practices in an effort to restrict underage access and appease federal health officials amid an industry-wide crackdown on "epidemic" teen use.

Fontem Ventures, a unit of tobacco company Imperial Brands, said it will raise the minimum age requirements to buy pods on its website to 21 across the U.S. and require its online retail partners to use age verification technology, among other measures designed to stop kids from buying its products. [...]