Well, folks, it was bound to happen sometime. The news has come out that the Food and Drug Administration is banning Juul E-Cigarettes. Also called “Juul Pods” and “Juuls,” the vapes are readily available at gas stations and other places that sell tobacco products. However, they have remained controversial.
FDA Decision
- The FDA has made the decision to pull Juul e-cigs off the market
- With the decision, it is expected to take effect in May 2023, and perhaps be a years-long process
- Other e-cig producers are going to take advantage of the ban but will be looking over their shoulders
- The FDA plans on targeting more traditional cigarette makers in the future as well
Since they came out on the market, vape pens have been seen as marketed to children. The ban on this e-cig is not going to impact other brands and companies. This is specifically about the Juul brand. With nicotine pods that can be replaced in rechargeable e-cigs, the brand was known for having many flavors. It was heavily blamed for teen and youth vaping trends by some opponents.
One of the big controversies around Juul pods was the fact the company marketed them as carcinogen-free. Saying that their vape pens were better than smoking, health-wise. It was just a few years ago when the company stopped selling popular fruity and sweet flavors like mango and others.
When you talk about popularity, these things are popular. From 2016 to 2017, the company sold almost 8 times as many products year over year, from 2.2 million to 16.2 million, respectively, the NY Post reports. With all the hype, the company kept growing and growing. By 2018, they were worth $15 billion and showed no signs of slowing down. Until the FDA stepped in.
Throughout the process, many groups have gotten involved in the advocacy against Juul pods. The American Heart Association as well as the American Lung Association, among other groups, rallied against these items.
No Juul, No Problem? Other Companies Plan to Thrive in Absence
When Juul E-Cigarettes are taken off the market, other companies will look to move in. Right now, the expectation is for Reynolds’s Vuse to make a surge in the market as the dominant e-cig. However, with the actions against Juul, one would think that the FDA is only getting started. Perhaps the increase in the tobacco buying age from 18 to 21 in the last few years has had an effect.
So, the FDA wants to get Juul off the market by May 2023. That’s the deadline they have planned at the moment. Still, there is a feeling that the process is going to take many years. After all, it’s a product that is all over the place. Stores have tons of the stuff. How long will it take to get them all off the shelves unless they remove the product themselves?
Apparently, we are going to see more from the FDA in regards to tobacco and tobacco-related products. There’s been a decades-long campaign against tobacco companies. Is this the culmination of all those years of advocacy and work? We’ll have to wait to find out.
