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Juul hires former tobacco exec as CEO and ceases all US marketing
Juul has announced a major shakeup of its juggernaut vape business. For starters, former Altria executive K.C. Crosthwaite is replacing Kevin Burns as CEO. Altria, if you need a refresher, is one of the largest tobacco companies in the world and bought a 35 percent stake in Juul for $12.8 billion last year. Today, the e-cigarette company also announced that it would be "suspending" all print, broadcast and digital marketing in the US.
Vape brand Juul is reportedly at the center of a criminal probe
E-cigarette maker Juul is in trouble again. According to The Wall Street Journal, people familiar with the matter say that the company is the subject of a criminal investigation by federal prosecutors in California. It's not yet been revealed what the focus of the investigation is, although sources say it's still in its early stages.
India effectively bans e-cigarettes
India just became among the first countries to effectively ban vaping. On Wednesday, the country banned the sale, import, advertising and production of e-cigarettes. First-time offenders face up to a year in prison and $1,400 fine, while repeat offenders face the prospect of a three-year sentence and $7,000 fine. It's still technically legal to smoke an e-cigarette in India, but for obvious reasons finding a legal supply of nicotine to smoke will be difficult.
Chinese retailers abruptly stop selling Juul e-cigarettes
It appears Juul's fortunes are about to get even worse. Bloomberg reports retailers in China have pulled the company's products just one week after they became available within the country. Citing a "person familiar with the matter," the publication says Juul wasn't told why its e-cigarettes and nicotine pods were removed from both physical and online stores, making it unclear whether the ongoing trade war between the US and China was a factor.
FDA criticizes Juul for telling students its e-cigs are ‘totally safe’
In a letter published today, the US Food and Drug Administration criticized Juul for telling students that its vaping products are "totally safe" and "99% safer than cigarettes." According to the letter, Juul portrayed its products as "modified risk tobacco products." That is, Juul presented its vaping products as having "a lower risk of tobacco-related disease or are less harmful than one or more other commercially marketed tobacco products." Such claims can only be made with FDA approval, which Juul did not have.
Michigan is the first state to ban flavored e-cigarettes
Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer announced today that the state will ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes in an attempt to curb youth vaping, which the US surgeon general calls an "epidemic." While cities such as San Francisco have recently put similar restrictions in place, Michigan is the first state to declare a ban.
The FTC is reportedly investigating Juul's teen marketing tactics
Juul is facing yet another investigation. This time, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is looking into the company's marketing practices. It will decide whether Juul used deceptive marketing, including targeting minors and using social media influences, sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal. The FTC may seek monetary damages.
Juul will require retailers to scan IDs before selling its vapes
By May 2021, anyone looking to purchase a Juul e-cig will have to have their ID scanned. Juul announced today that it will soon require all retailers to use an updated point-of-sale (POS) system. When Juul products are scanned, the POS will prompt the retailer to scan the customer's ID. Anyone under the locally mandated age will be prohibited from buying Juul products. The POS will also block sales of more than one vaporizer and four refill packs, so users won't be able to buy in bulk and presumably share with their underage friends.
Juul's app-connected e-cigarette keeps tabs on your vaping
E-cigarette manufacturer Juul has come under fire for contributing to teen smoking rates. Recently, the company has been scrambling to demonstrate its products are aimed at adults, not teens. Its latest defense is an app-connected e-cigarette which requires users to be over 18.
San Francisco's grand plan to ban online e-cigarette sales
Nearly 90 percent of all San Francisco high school students who vape get their fix by shopping online or through friends. Just 13.6 percent actually buy their pods at a physical store. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is acutely aware of this teenage reality -- these statistics are laid out in Health Code ordinance No. 190312, which prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes in San Francisco, in person and online. The ordinance's authors are specifically concerned with curtailing e-cigarette use among the youth population, noting that the number of teenagers who had tried vaping at least once rose by 1.5 million from 2017 to 2018. The ban will last until the US Food & Drug Administration reviews the health risks of vaping, which likely won't happen until 2022.
San Francisco set to become first US city to ban e-cigarettes
San Francisco has edged towards becoming the first US city to ban sales of e-cigarettes, as well as the manufacturing and distribution of them on city property. A preliminary vote saw city supervisors unanimously approve a ban on e-cigarettes the Food and Drug Administration has yet to review. It hasn't assessed any yet and companies have until 2021 to apply for reviews of their products under the agency's draft guidelines.
Juul faces House investigation over teen e-cigarette use
Juul is facing even more heat over concerns that it's contributing to teen vaping. The House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy has opened an investigation into the "youth e-cigarette epidemic" that could determine if Juul had marketed its e-cigarettes to kids. Committee Chairman Raja Krishnamoorthi has asked the company to hand over any documents from 2013 onward that touch on related parts of its advertising and social media strategies, including the impact of ads on children and its awareness of under-18 social network followers.
Juul's pilot program could trace retailers that sell to teen users
Juul has launched an experimental track-and-trace program meant to curb teen vaping, perhaps as an attempt to appease the FDA and other government agencies. The e-cig company has been in authorities' crosshairs since last year due to its products' popularity among teens. After it was acquired by Marlboro's parent company, the FDA called Juul in for making statements that apparently contradicted the commitments they previously made to reduce teen vaping. The track-and-trace pilot program will help Juul zero in on retailers and other sources that sell its e-cigs to anybody below 21 years old.
San Francisco lawmakers will consider a ban on e-cigarette sales
Authorities in San Francisco are considering banning the sale of e-cigarettes until the FDA carries out an investigation on their effects on health. Officials from the city -- which has already banned the sale of flavored tobacco and flavored vaping liquid -- said such a review should have been completed before e-cigarettes entered the market.
FDA accuses Juul of undermining efforts to prevent teen vaping
Many people raised eyebrows when Marlboro owner Altria bought a $12.8 billion stake in the vaping giant Juul, and that now includes the US Food and Drug Administration. Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has requested a joint meeting with the CEOs of Juul and Altria over concerns their statements "contradict" commitments they made in October to reduce teen vaping. The official wanted both executives to explain how their deal affects their plans to curb youth vape use, and noted that data suggested trends were headed in the wrong direction.
Marlboro owner invests $12.8 billion in e-cigarette maker Juul
Tobacco giant Altria (which owns Marlboro and Virginia Slims) has bought a 35 percent stake in Juul for $12.8 billion. The major deal pegs the e-cigarette company's valuation at $38 billion, which more than doubles its value since a previous investment in July. Altria will place Juul's products next to its cigarettes on retail shelves, and, pending antitrust approval, hold a third of Juul's board seats.
Juul stops selling flavored e-cigarette pods, kills social media accounts
Juul Labs, the makers of the wildly popular Juul e-cigarettes, announced today that it will stop selling most of its flavored vaping pods in retail stores. The company will also put an end to its social media promotions and advertisements. The decision on the part of Juul comes as the government appears ready to apply more scrutiny to the vape brand and its potential targeting of kids.
FDA seizes marketing documents from e-cig maker Juul
In its latest move against e-cigarettes, the US Food and Drug Administration has seized "thousands of pages of documents" from e-cig maker Juul. In a statement to CNBC, the FDA said the action was taken in order to obtain "further documentation related to Juul's sales and marketing practices, among other things." The documents were seized last week during a surprise inspection of the company's San Francisco headquarters.
E-cig makers have 60 days to show they aren’t targeting minors
The Food And Drug Administration may force several e-cigarette brands to stop selling flavored products if they can't prove they can keep their products out of minors' hands. The brands -- Juul, Vuse, MarkTen, blu and Logic -- have 60 days to convince the agency they have adequate plans to stop kids from vaping with their products. Those five collectively account for more than 97 percent of the e-cigarette market.
Juul wants to use Bluetooth e-cigs to lock out teen smokers
E-cigarette company Juul is working on a Bluetooth-connected version of its popular device, and its features could help the company combat underage use. Valued at $15 billion, Juul claims over 70 percent of the US e-cigarette market, and it has been working to expand internationally. But as it continues to attract investment and users, the company is also admitting that its product is being used by teenagers. "We acknowledge kids are using the products," Juul Chief Administrative Officer Ashley Gould said earlier this year. "We're committed to stopping it."
