Juul Temporarily Halts Online Sales Of Flavored E-Cigarettes, But Critics Say That’s Far From Enough – Kaiser Health News

Data shows that 64 percent of high school e-cigarette users now use mint or menthol flavors and this number is growing all the time," said Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. However others said Juul's decision to halt sales of flavors like manjo, crme, fruit and cucumber would hurt adult smokers. Meanwhile, the cases of the vaping-related lung illness continue to climb.

The New York Times:Juul Suspends Online Sales Of Flavored E-CigarettesJuul Labs announced on Thursday that it would temporarily halt online sales of flavored e-cigarettes like mango, products the company had already stopped distributing to retail stores as public outrage mounted over the soaring rate of teenage vaping. Facing multiple federal and state investigations into its marketing practices, Juul said it decided to discontinue the sales for now until the Food and Drug Administration had reviewed the device and flavor cartridges. But the suspension, which also includes crme, fruit and cucumber, does not extend to menthol or mint. (Kaplan, 10/17)

The Washington Post:E-Cigarette Giant Juul Suspends Online Sales Of Mango And Three Other FlavorsThe flavors mango, crme, fruit and cucumber, which have helped fuel Juuls popularity, have been available only on its website to people 21 and older since late last year. Three other flavors mint, menthol and tobacco will continue to be sold online and in retail outlets. The company said it is reviewing whether to suspend sales of mint and menthol flavors. The action comes ahead of expected action by the Trump administration against flavored e-cigarettes. Last month, President Trump announced the Food and Drug Administration would ban all flavored e-cigarettes except tobacco-flavored ones in an effort to stem the increase in youth vaping. The plan has not been issued yet. (McGinley, 10/17)

The Wall Street Journal:Juul Halts Online Sales Of Some Flavored E-CigarettesThe FDA, which regulates tobacco, has given e-cigarette manufacturers until May 2020 to submit for review any products they want to keep on the market after that date. If the agency implements its proposed ban on most vaping flavors, manufacturers can seek the FDAs authorization to renew selling sweet and menthol-flavored products. But first they must demonstrate that the products provide a net benefit to public health. (Maloney, 10/17)

ABC News:Juul Suspends Sale Of Sweet Flavors Amid Mysterious Vaping Deaths, Criticism Over Teen UseIn a statement, Juul's new CEO, K.C. Crosthwaite, said that the company's products are intended for adult consumers. "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," the statement said. (Schumaker, 10/17)

Bloomberg:Juul Suspends Sale Of Most E-Cigarette Flavors In U.S.Juul said the new sales restriction comes out of a review led by the new chief executive officer, K.C. Crosthwaite, who joined last month from tobacco giant Altria Group Inc. As part of that review, Juul said last month it would stop all U.S. advertising, refrain from supporting a proposition to voters in San Francisco that would reverse an e-cigarette ban and stop lobbying the government about legislation related to flavors. Michael Bloomberg, the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, funds anti-vaping advocacy initiatives, including one to defeat the San Francisco ballot measure. (Huet and Armstrong, 10/17)

USA Today:Juul Suspends All US Sales Of Flavored E-CigarettesVaping watchdog Robert Jackler, a professor at Stanford University, said the latest move is "a step in the right direction." But, he added, the November 2018 discontinuation of Juul's flavored e-cigarette sales at stores led American teens to migrate to Juul's mint- and menthol-flavored nicotine pods. "If JUUL leadership is serious about containing the viral youth use of its product, it should be sold only in unsweetened tobacco flavor," Jackler said in an email. (Bomey, 10/17)

The Associated Press:Juul Halts Sales Of Fruit, Dessert Flavors For E-CigarettesStill, the company's latest step is unlikely to satisfy its critics. The flavors affected by Thursday's announcement mango, crme, fruit and cucumber account for less than 10% of Juul's sales. The flavors had only been sold through Juul's website, after the company pulled them from stores last November. (Perrone, 10/17)

NPR:Juul To Stop Selling Most Vape Flavors, Except Tobacco And MentholAt a time when 25% of high school seniors surveyed in the U.S. say they've vaped within the last 30 days, the company is also under pressure to limit marketing and advertising to youth. (Aubrey, 10/17)

Reuters:U.S. Ramps Up Testing In Search Vaping Illness Cause As Cases Near 1,500U.S. health officials on Thursday reported another 180 cases of vaping-related lung illnesses and announced plans to start testing aerosols produced by e-cigarettes and vaping products as they search for the source of the nationwide outbreak that has so far killed at least 33 people in 24 states. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said it plans to start testing lung cells collected from people who became sick in the outbreak. (Steenhuysen, 10/17)

The Hill:Number Of Vaping-Related Lung Illnesses Nears 1,500The 33 deaths have occurred in 24 states, including three fatalities each in California, Indiana and Minnesota. (Hellmann, 10/17)

The Washington Post:Vaping-Linked Deaths, Illnesses Rise As Officials Expand Lab Testing, CDC SaysAnnouncing the latest increase in illnesses, the CDC reiterated its conclusion that products containing THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana, are a main culprit and should be avoided. About 78 percent of patients say they used vaping products containing THC, according to the CDC, and nearly a third of patients reported using only THC products. Ten percent said they vaped only nicotine, although doctors caution that people may be reluctant to admit to using marijuana. (Knowles, 10/17)

The Wall Street Journal:Vaping-Related Injury Cases Near 1,500, With 33 DeathsMany of the people who had vaped THC obtained their products from unregulated sources, leading some investigators to suspect that contaminants in illicit THC products are driving the illnesses. In its search for a cause, CDC said it is now testing lung-tissue samples from patients. The agency said it is figuring out how best to test blood, urine and other fluid samples that it has started to receive. (Abbott, 10/17)

Politico:E-Cig Industry Fractures Over Looming Laws As Big Tobacco Plays The Long GameThe Trump administrations effort to ban flavored e-cigarettes and place other restrictions on the industry threatens to put thousands of small vaping concerns out of business nationwide while the biggest tobacco companies in the world which already control the lions share of the vaping market could only grow bigger. The high bar anticipated in forthcoming FDA requirements for e-cigarettes to stay on the market, combined with the Trump White Houses push to ban flavors in the meantime, threaten to whittle the e-cigarette industry down to just a few big players. (Owermohle, 10/17)

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Juul Temporarily Halts Online Sales Of Flavored E-Cigarettes, But Critics Say That's Far From Enough - Kaiser Health News