When will Juul be banned? Reasons explored as FDA set to crackdown on e-cigarettes

According to recent reports, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned Juul e-cigarettes and ordered them not to sell their product in the US market. The decision was announced on Thursday, June 23, when the agency issued a marketing denial order (MDOs) for all current products sold by the firm.

It must be noted that these MDOs cannot prevent end-users from owning and consuming the products of the brand. However, this would most definitely put a stop to the products being sold in the United States in the future.

The FDA acknowledged that those addicted to nicotine from the tobacco-based products of the firm would face issues. The agency advised current smokers who had Juul products to transition to other Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS).

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What did the FDA say about Juul’s ban in the US market?

In their official press release, FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf said:

“Today’s action is further progress on the FDA’s commitment to ensuring that all e-cigarette and electronic nicotine delivery system products currently being marketed to consumers meet our public health standards.”

The FDA cited the reason behind the ban on the brand's product. According to the agency, the firm did not produce enough evidence to justify their marketing of the product meeting set standards. The FDA’s report stated:

“As with all manufacturers, JUUL had the opportunity to provide evidence demonstrating that the marketing of their products meets these standards. However, the company did not provide that evidence and instead left us with significant questions. Without the data needed to determine relevant health risks, the FDA is issuing these marketing denial orders.”

However, the agency further revealed that they have yet to receive any acceptable “clinical information” that linked “immediate hazard” to Juul products. The agency urged that the use of third-party vape liquid or e-cigarette fluid from the authorized brand should be prevented as their “toxicological risks” are yet undetermined.

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Reasons behind the ban of Juul vaping products

This decision is not shocking as lawmakers have scrutinized the rise of e-cigarettes and the increase of vaping among kids for years. According to the US-based National Youth Tobacco Survey compiled last year, over 2.6 million US teenagers revealed that they used e-cigarettes. Meanwhile, the survey also stated that over 25 percent of teens have indulged in regular vaping.

The firm faced over 2,000 lawsuits from individuals over the popularity of their product and how it allegedly targeted teens in high school or middle school with their marketing. In July last year, these lawsuits were combined into a multidistrict litigation (MDL). There had been a class-action lawsuit against the e-cigarette maker as well. Juul had to pay $40 million to the state of North Carolina over six years and were required to change their marketing techniques in the region. Similarly, the firm agreed to pay $14.5 million to the state of Arizona in a lawsuit settlement. The state of Arizona, like many others, claimed that Juul’s marketing targeted minors.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the company told Vice:

“We have never marketed to youth and do not want any non-nicotine users to try our products.”

The popularity of these products lies behind the notion that vaping is less harmful than smoking. Furthermore, e-cigarette brands can regulate the amount of nicotine along with the flavor, which attracts the youth. As per Dr. Michael Joseph Blaha’s comment on vaping to Hopkins Medicine:

“There’s almost no doubt that vaping exposes you to fewer toxic chemicals than smoking traditional cigarettes.”

However, the doctor further added:

“Emerging data suggests links to chronic lung disease and asthma, as well as associations between dual use of e-cigarettes and smoking with cardiovascular disease. You’re exposing yourself to all kinds of chemicals that we don’t yet understand and that are probably not safe.”

Following the decision by the FDA to ban the brand, the shares of Altria dropped by 8.5 percent. Altria owns a 35 percent stake in the e-cigarette maker, and this puts Juul at serious risk as the firm’s primary market was in the US.