Federal health officials slammed Juul in a letter Monday, accusing the vaping company of illegally marketing its e-cigarettes as a safer alternative to smoking. The Food and Drug Administration threatened to fine or even seize the popular products if the company doesn’t change its marketing strategy. “JUUL has ignored the law, and very concerningly, has made some of these statements in school to our nation’s youth,” Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless said in a statement. 

The FDA sent the warning letter after health officials reviewed testimony from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform’s investigation into Juul that concluded the company marketed its vapes and nicotine pods as “modified risk tobacco products without an FDA order in effect that permits such sale or distribution.” “Regardless of where products like e-cigarettes fall on the continuum of tobacco product risk, the law is clear that, before marketing tobacco products for reduced risk, companies must demonstrate with scientific evidence that their specific product does in fact pose less risk or is less harmful,” Sharpless said.