Juul Survives a Blow From the FDA—for Now
WiredOct 31, 2022
The Facts
The FDA lifted its marketing ban on Juul e-cigarette products on Thursday, saying that it's currently reviewing new case law and updated information from the company.
Juul Lab's products have returned to a pending status to undergo review. The FDA has said that the rescission is neither an authorization nor a denial and doesn't indicate whether the application will be authorized or declined in the future.
The Spin
Narrative A
Juul products violate standards for protecting public health, and the company explicitly targets minors with its marketing. Juul is one of the biggest drivers of the youth vaping epidemic, and these products must not be allowed on US shelves prior to receiving premarket authorization.
Narrative B
This is not a formal decision by the FDA but rather an update to reflect that the status of the products is still pending. This represents a large gesture of goodwill by the FDA, and hopefully, further scientific review will validate that these products meet public health standards.