Juul stops selling its fruit-flavored vape products
It's one step ahead of the Trump administration's ban on flavored e-cigs.
Today, Juul announced that it's suspending the sale of its fruit-flavored vape products in the US. It will no longer sell its mango, creme, fruit and cucumber varieties. The decision comes as the Trump administration is preparing to ban flavored e-cigs in an attempt to curb teen vaping and as the CDC continues to search for the cause of a vaping-related lung illness.
Juul stopped selling those flavors in retail stores last year. Since then, they've only been available online. The company will continue to sell its mint and menthol nicotine pods even though those could also be subject to the Trump administration ban.
Juul says its decision is not final, so we could see the fruity flavors return in the future. In the meantime, the company says it will refrain from lobbying the administration. It will continue to develop scientific evidence to support the use of its flavored products and enforce measures to combat underage use.
"We must reset the vapor category by earning the trust of society and working cooperatively with regulators, policymakers, and stakeholders to combat underage use while providing an alternative to adult smokers," CEO KC Crosthwaite said in a statement.
Juul products are no longer available through Chinese retailers, and India has effectively banned vaping country-wide. Michigan has banned flavored e-cigs, and San Francisco has banned the sale of all e-cigs.
