The US FDA has approved the marketing applications for five Juul vape products. This decision has sparked widespread controversy: The vape industry association welcomed it, stating that it was a long-overdue recognition that would help adult smokers replace traditional cigarettes, but the anti-smoking organizations strongly opposed it, criticizing the FDA for “a serious regression” in protecting teenagers. Data shows that Juul remains one of the most popular vape brands among teenage users.
Key points:
- FDA Approves Juul Products: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted market authorization orders (MGOs) for five Juul vape products.
- Juul Company Statement: Juul stated that over 2 million Americans have completely quit combustible tobacco products by using its products, and the company aims to make cigarettes an outdated product.
Support and Doubts:
- Support: Tony Abboud, the executive director of the Vapor Technology Association in the United States, believes that the FDA’s approval is a belated step that helps adults quit smoking, but this one-time authorization is not enough to reduce the losses caused by cigarettes.
- Doubts: Yolanda Richardson, the president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, believes that the FDA’s decision is a “major setback” in preventing teenagers from using vapes and points out that Juul products are still very popular among teenagers.
Industry Impact:
- Independent vape Industry Risks: Abboud stated that the FDA’s authorization for the Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) to seize products based on illegal regulations threatens thousands of small American businesses and limits the access of adult Americans to their favorite products.
- Retail Industry Call: The National Chain Store Association (NACS) and other related associations called on the federal government to crack down on the illegal sales of vapes from China on the market, stating that the retail industry is “systematically” losing sales share.
- FDA Authorization Status: As of now, the FDA has authorized 39 vape products, and these are the only vape products that can be legally sold in the US market at present.
The FDA’s approval of Juul’s five products has sparked controversy.
According to CSP’s report on July 22, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted market authorization orders (MGOs) to five Juul products. The vape manufacturer stated that over 2 million Americans have completely quit combustible tobacco products by using Juul. The company based in Washington said its goal is to make cigarettes an outdated product.
- “For us, this mission cannot be compromised: We are the only company in the US market that holds a product market authorization and does not sell cigarettes.”
Juul stated in a statement.
Those who support the latest decision of this institution include Tony Abboud, the executive director of the Vapor Technology Association in the United States. He believes that more authorization is still needed.
- The American vape Technology Association recognizes that the FDA’s approval of Juul Labs’ vape products for sale in the United States is a belated step. This reaffirms the role of vapes in helping adults quit smoking, but a single authorization is far from sufficient to reduce the losses caused by cigarettes.
Abd said in a statement.
The industry calls it “helping people quit smoking”, while opponents criticize it as “endangering teenagers”
He also stated that the independent vape industry in the United States is at risk of being shut down.
- “The FDA has authorized the Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) to seize products at the border under an illegal regulation. These seizure actions pose a threat to tens of thousands of small businesses in the United States and restrict the access of adult Americans to their favorite products, which account for over 70% of the market share.”
He said.
The authorization was made after years of FDA review, but it has been questioned by some people, including Yolanda Richardson, the president and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. She believes that this decision represents a “major setback” in preventing teenagers from using vapes.
- This is the reason why Juul had to pay over 1.1 billion to settle lawsuits filed by various states and other parties. Although the proportion of teenagers using vapes has recently decreased, Juul products are still very popular among teenagers. According to the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey, Juul remains one of the top five most popular vape brands among American teenagers, including 12.6% of current middle and high school vape users. Juul is the third most popular vape brand among middle school vape users.
Richardson stated in a statement.
On July 18th, the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) and four other associations related to the convenience store and travel center industries called on the federal government to crack down on the illegal sales of electronic cigarettes from China on the market.
In a letter dated July 18th, these organizations stated that the convenience store industry is “systematically” losing its sales share because some enterprises are selling illegal products.
As of now, the FDA has approved 39 types of vape products. These are the only vape products that are currently legally allowed to be sold in the US market.
