FDA Accuses Juul of Reneging on Promise to Combat Teen Vaping ‘Epidemic’
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Ronen Zvulun/Reuters
The Food and Drug Administration has accused vaping companies Juul and and Marlboro-maker Altria of reneging on a promise to combat the teen vaping “epidemic.” The FDA once again threatened to pull e-cigarettes off the market if more isn’t done to reduce levels of teen use that it believes is linked to the array of flavor offerings that attract younger users. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is upping the pressure on the manufacturers in light of Altria’s $12.8 billion investment in Juul late last year. The deal reportedly made Gottlieb question whether the manufacturer is truly committed to reducing teen vaping since Juul still offers flavored products. Gottlieb is calling the companies’ CEOs to the agency’s headquarters to explain their strategy to reduce underage use of e-cigarettes. The commissioner also noted that the FDA can always remove Juul’s products from the market completely. All e-cigarettes were supposed to come off shelves last year while the agency reviewed their safety, but the FDA gave manufacturers a reprieve until 2022. Gottlieb threatened Thursday to reverse that decision.