Teenagers ’use of e-cigarettes increased with Juul’s increasing popularity in 2017 and 2018. Their use among high school students grew to 27.5% in 2019 from 11.7 % in 2017, but fell to 11.3% in 2021, according to a federal report. showed the survey.
Juul did not provide evidence to show that the products lived up to their standards and this raised “important questions,” the FDA said, but added that so far it has not received clinical information suggesting an immediate danger related to the device or pods.
Juul has played an important role in the adoption of electronic cigarettes. Credit: AP
“Without the data needed to determine the relevant health risks, the FDA issues these marketing denial orders,” said Michele Mital, acting director of the FDA’s Tobacco Products Center.
Juul, owned in part by tobacco giant Altria Group Inc, had applied for approval for its vaporizer and tobacco and menthol-flavored pods that had a nicotine content of 5% and 3%.
Electronic cigarette manufacturers sell products in the United States for years without being officially authorized by the FDA, as regulators have repeatedly delayed deadlines for companies to comply with federal guidelines.
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Thursday’s decision was applauded by public health groups, which had long warned that e-cigarettes were hooking up to a new generation of teenagers on nicotine following major advances in reducing juvenile cigarette use.
In 2020, the FDA banned all flavors, except tobacco and menthol, for cartridge-based e-cigarettes like Juul. The company pulled out all the other flavors, including mint and mango in late 2019.
The Biden administration has been looking for other ways to help people quit smoking in an effort to reduce preventable cancer deaths. This week he said he plans to propose a rule that sets a maximum level of nicotine in cigarettes and other finished tobacco products to make them less addictive.
According to some analysts, the surprise decision was an indication of a more aggressive FDA, as some Juul products were expected to be approved after BAT’s Vuse Solo items became the first steam products to receive approval. of the agency in October.
BAT surpassed Juul as the leader in the U.S. vaporization market in April, according to data Nielsen provided to broker JP Morgan. Juul led the market in 2021, with a 38 percent share of the $ 11 billion ($ 16 billion) retail market.
“The only opportunity for Juul to create value may be in international markets, but we expect other regulators to take a similar position to the FDA in limiting the marketing of e-cigarettes to minors,” said Morningstar analyst Philip Gorham.
Reuters
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