FDA threatens Juul shutdown if it doesn't stop marketing to minors


The "epidemic" of minors smoking flavored e-cigarettes has gotten so bad, the FDA is threatening to snuff out the whole industry.
Juul and similar vape manufacturers have received FDA warning letters and fines because their flavored options attract underage buyers, but nothing has changed, the agency said in a Wednesday press release. So the FDA is giving these companies 60 days to explain how they'll tackle the problem. If they do nothing, the FDA might strip their flavored products from the market entirely.
Tobacco use among middle- and high-school students is generally decreasing, but more than 2 million minors still used e-cigarettes in 2017, FDA data shows. About a third of vaping minors surveyed said the flavors attracted them to e-cigs. These products are generally safer than traditional cigarettes, and the FDA says it's still aiming to direct adult smokers to vape options. But the "kid-friendly marketing" of flavored vapes is leading minors to start smoking way too early, the FDA said in its release.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Over the summer, the FDA embarked on a "nationwide, undercover blitz" to tackle the issue, serving up warnings and fines to retailers exposed in the raids Wednesday. The agency is also cracking down further on Juul, Vuse, MarkTen XL, blue e-cigs, and Logic — five manufacturers that the FDA says make up a "vast majority of the products illegally sold to minors." Juul and its competitors have 60 days to plan "how they will address the widespread youth access and use of their products," the FDA said Wednesday. If their proposals fall short, the FDA might force these brands to pull their flavors from shelves until they shape up.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Trump said to seek government stake in Intel
Speed Read The president and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan reportedly discussed the proposal at a recent meeting
-
US to take 15% cut of AI chip sales to China
Speed Read Nvidia and AMD will pay the Trump administration 15% of their revenue from selling artificial intelligence chips to China
-
NFL gets ESPN stake in deal with Disney
Speed Read The deal gives the NFL a 10% stake in Disney's ESPN sports empire and gives ESPN ownership of NFL Network
-
Samsung to make Tesla chips in $16.5B deal
Speed Read Tesla has signed a deal to get its next-generation chips from Samsung
-
FCC greenlights $8B Paramount-Skydance merger
Speed Read The Federal Communications Commission will allow Paramount to merge with the Hollywood studio Skydance
-
Tesla reports plummeting profits
Speed Read The company may soon face more problems with the expiration of federal electric vehicle tax credits
-
Dollar faces historic slump as stocks hit new high
Speed Read While stocks have recovered post-Trump tariffs, the dollar has weakened more than 10% this year
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages