E-cigarettes: FDA bans market-leading Juul in blow to US tobacco industry

US health officials ordered the vape company Juul to stop selling its popular electronic cigarettes on Thursday, the latest blow against the tobacco industry by the Biden administration.

The action is part of a sweeping effort by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to bring scientific scrutiny to the multibillion-dollar vaping industry after years of regulatory delays.

The ban comes one day after the Biden administration proposed a rule to establish a maximum nicotine level in cigarettes and other tobacco products in an attempt to make them less addictive.

Launched in 2015, Juul led the way in e-cigarettes, controlling 75% of the e-cigarette market in the US by its third year. It is the fifth best-selling e-cigarette in the UK with sales of £13.1m in 2021. But the sale of flavors such as mint, mango and creme brulee led to charges it was encouraging teen smokers.

Parents, politicians and anti-tobacco advocates wanted a ban on the devices that many blame for the rise in underage vaping. Supporters say they can help smokers cut back on regular cigarettes.

According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study more than 2.5 million US students used a tobacco product of some sort in 2021 and 80% of tobacco use was attributable to disposable e-cigarettes and cartridge products, like a Juul.

Last year, the agency rejected applications for more than a million other e-cigarettes and related products, mainly due to their potential appeal to underage teens.

To stay on the market, companies must show that their products benefit public health. In practice, that means proving that adult smokers who use the products are likely to quit or reduce their smoking, while teens are unlikely to get hooked on them.

The FDA has granted some e-cigarette applications, including tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes from RJ Reynolds, Logic and other companies.

But industry players and anti-tobacco advocates have complained that those products account for just a tiny percentage of the $6bn vaping market in the US.

Regulators repeatedly delayed making decisions on devices from market leaders, including Juul, which remains the best-selling vaping brand although sales have dipped. The company is expected to appeal the decision.

Agencies contributed to this story