After two years of regulatory assessment, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered Juul to leave the U.S. market. The popular e-cigarette brand has been widely blamed for the surge in teen vaping.
According to WDTN, parents and politicians, who are also against tobacco, have wanted Juul banned from the market because of its increased use among teenagers. Juuls and similar e-cigarette brands were first believed to help smokers cut back on using regular cigarettes.
However, the FDA has recognized Juul's role in the increasing vaping problem among teenagers and young adults, citing that the premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) the company used for marketing their product do not provide enough evidence that it's safe for public health.
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Best-Selling E-Cigarette Brand Contains High Amount of Nicotine
While the FDA took some time to order Juuls to leave the U.S. market, the manufacturer has become the country's best-selling e-cigarette brand. In the middle of all this, the FDA rejected the application of more than a million e-cigarettes and related products in 2021 because of concerns that these are too appealing for teenagers.
FDA's Center for Tobacco Products director Michele Mital said in a statement that Juul was given a chance to "provide evidence demonstrating that the marketing of their products meets these standards," particularly concerning marketing their products to kids. When the company failed to comply and provide the data, the FDA finally decided to deny Juuls' sales and distribution in the U.S.
Juuls is a battery-powered e-cigarette that is no bigger than a USB flash drive. It has a liquid aerosol that heats up when inhaled. This liquid, which comes in kid-friendly flavors like cream or mango, contains nicotine salts that may be less irritating than the nicotine in regular cigarettes or other tobacco products.
However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that about two-thirds of Juul's market include those between the ages of 15 to 24 years old who are unaware that the product contains high amounts of nicotine. The manufacturer stated that a single pod of their product is equivalent to 20 regular cigarettes.
Nicotine can hamper an adolescent brain's development and may impact their mood, impulse control, and learning. Synapses in the brain cells that form when new memories are created, or new skills are developed may also be affected by the presence of nicotine in the body.
Parents Hail FDA Decision
Meanwhile, Parents Against Vaping E-Cigarettes (PAVe) welcomed the FDA's decision. In a statement sent to NPR, Meredith Berkman and Dorian Fuhrman, the group's founders, said that this decision is an "enormous step in the right direction." The parents also said that the company could "finally be held accountable" for the vaping problems among teens.
However, Amanda Wheeler of the American Vapor Manufacturers Association said that this decision has been a "regulatory arson" against vaping manufacturers and vapers who should have the right to access alternative cigarettes.
