Federal health officials on Thursday ordered Juul to pull its electronic cigarettes from the U.S. market, the latest blow to the company which has been blamed for sparking a national surge in teen vaping.
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 FDA said Juul must stop selling its vaping device and its tobacco and menthol-flavored cartridges. Those already on the market must be removed. Consumers are not restricted from having or using Juul’s products, the agency said.
To stay on the market, companies must show that their e-cigarettes benefit public health. In practice, that means proving that adult smokers who use them are likely to quit or reduce their smoking, while teens are unlikely to get hooked on them.
The FDA noted that some of the biggest sellers like Juul may have played a “disproportionate″ role in the rise in teen vaping. The agency said Thursday that Juul’s application didn’t have enough evidence to show that marketing its products “would be appropriate for the protection of the public health.”
Juul said it disagrees with the FDA’s findings and will seek to put the ban on hold while the company considers its options, including a possible appeal and talking with regulators.
According to the Hustle, most gas stations do not turn much of a profit selling gas. This is because gas has such a low-profit margin. Some stations may even take a loss on gas.
However, 80% of all gas stations have convenience stores. The merchandise sold in these stores is typically the primary source of revenue.
Many gas stations in Alabama sell Juuls and similar products as well as cigarettes.
Monita Mitchell, the manager at the Circle K on Montclair Road in Irondale, said her store sells more cigarettes than Juuls and similar products. She said she didn’t think the ban will hurt the store’s revenues significantly.
“They’ll just buy something else,” said the manager of CC Food Mart, also in Irondale, who wished to remain anonymous.
The CC Food Mart manager said he hasn’t received official word about the ban on Juuls yet but said he wasn’t worried because his store sells more cigarettes.
AP News contributed to this report.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email will.blakely@1819news.com.
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