FDA bans Juul electronic cigarettes from U.S. market

The Food and Drug Administration has banned the sale of all Juul electronic cigarettes in the U.S.

The announcement came a day after the Wall Street Journal reported that the FDA had planned the move after a two-year review of the company.

Juul has not responded to the FDA’s ban, according to both The Washington Post and Politico.

The FDA said it has issued what is called marketing denial orders to Juul Labs Inc. for all products currently for sale in the U.S.

In addition, those currently on the U.S. market must be removed, or risk enforcement action.
— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) June 23, 2022

The products included in the ban are the Juul device and four types of Juul pods: Virginia tobacco-flavored pods and menthol-flavored pods both with nicotine concentrations of 5.0% and 3.0%, the FDA said.

Retailers are being told to reach out to Juul about any questions concerning what to do with remaining inventory in stores.

The products, according to the FDA, are to be pulled from shelves.

Juul’s e-cigarettes contain nicotine in the form of a liquid vaporized by the device. The FDA has been concerned that they may contribute to the rise in youth vaping rates.

In 2019, the FDA banned the sale of fruity and sweet flavors of Juul’s e-cigarettes, citing concern that they could be appealing to underage users, according to Bloomberg.

According to an article published by The Associated Press in 2021, to stay on the market, companies like Juul Labs Inc. must provide evidence that their e-cigarettes benefit public health. That means proving that not only are adult smokers who use them more likely to quit or reduce their smoking, but also proving that teens are unlikely to get hooked on them.

Parents, politicians and anti-tobacco advocates have pressured the FDA for years to ban Juul’s high-nicotine devices, which many blame for a spike in underage vaping.

Juul is expected to appeal the decision, Reuters reported before the order was issued.