- Kyle Chua
Juul E-Cigarettes Could Soon Be Pulled From the US Market
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S. could soon ban the sale of Juul’s e-cigarettes in the country after years of scrutinisation and reviews.
According to the Wall Street Journal (via Engadget), the agency is expected to announce its decision very soon, requiring the vape pen maker to immediately pull all of its products from the market.
The brand grew in popularity a few years back, appealing largely to young people who grew attached to the pen’s technology and the different flavour options. E-cigarettes were also marketed as a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes. Some brands even went as far as to say their products can even help smokers quit – a claim that the World Health Organisation says has yet to be proven by science.
Juul was reportedly asked to submit its products for FDA review in 2020. The company has had multiple run-ins with the agency in the years prior for supposedly undermining efforts to reduce "vaping" – the informal term for using e-cigarettes – among teens.
There’s been an alarming rate of lung injuries and diseases reported in the last couple of years across different states in the U.S. due to the widespread use of e-cigarettes. The Centre of Disease Control in 2020 recorded more than 2,000 cases of hospitalisations related to these conditions.
For the unfamiliar, e-cigarettes and vaporisers are battery-powered devices that heat liquids into vapour inhaled by the user. The vapour typically contains a mix of nicotine and a flavouring agent, among other potentially harmful chemicals.
In Singapore, vaping has long been prohibited. Under section 16(2A) of the Tobacco Act, it is illegal for citizens of the city-state to possess, purchase and use vaporisers. The law also prohibits buying vaporisers online and shipping them to Singapore.
The report notes Juul can appeal the ban in court if it’s indeed passed by the FDA. The company also can request for a stay while the agency reviews its new app-connected e-cigarette, which has a lock that prevents those under 18 from using it.
The majority of Juul’s revenue comes from the U.S. so a ban could drastically hurt its business and send its stocks tumbling.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S. could soon ban the sale of Juul’s e-cigarettes in the country after years of scrutinisation and reviews.
The agency is expected to announce its decision very soon, which could drastically hurt Juul's business and send its stocks tumbling.
In Singapore, vaping has long been outlawed, with it being illegal to possess, purchase and use vaporisers and e-cigarettes.