The US Food and Drug Administration is set to remove Juul Lab e-cigarettes from the US market. Sources told The Wall Street Journal that the decision could come as early as Wednesday after a two-year review of reams of data submitted by the vaping company.
The FDA has already banned the sale of fruit-flavored e-cigarettes because critics claim the products target teens. Since then regulators have been reviewing thousands of applications for the products after tightening their oversight of the electronic cigarette market.
The WSJ reported that Juul had no immediate comment. The company can challenge the expected decision in one of three ways: appeal the decision through the FDA, file a challenge in court, or file a revised application for its products.
Several years ago, Juul’s fruity flavor and “hip marketing” were blamed for the jump in underage vaping. Among the criticisms were that Juul used young adult models, celebrities, and social media influencers in its marketing campaigns. In response, the company stopped using the models, suspended all advertising in the United States, and closed its Facebook and Instagram accounts. The company stopped selling its fruit and sweet flavors in 2019. In 2020, all manufacturers were required to submit their products to the FDA for review in order to remain on the market.
Juul’s submission to the FDA contained only menthol and Virginia Tobacco flavors in nicotine strengths of 3 and 5 percent, respectively. The company also introduced a new device that will only be unlocked for users who are 21 years of age or older.
The FDA also plans to eliminate nearly all nicotine in cigarettes, saying it would boost the $95 billion US cigarette industry. The newspaper reported that if this happens, tobacco companies can sue to fight the decision.
