On Wednesday, July 5, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an administrative stay on the order it issued in June for vaping company Juul to pull its electronic cigarettes from the market.
The agency said that the stay temporarily suspends the marketing denial order while it conducts further review but does not rescind it.
FDA Temporarily Stops Juul Ban
On June 23, the FDA issued the initial order banning Juul sales in the United States. On June 24, a federal appeals court blocked the government ban on e-cigarettes.
The initial FDA action was part of the agency's effort to bring scientific scrutiny to the vaping industry after years of delays, according to Reuters.
To stay on the vaping market, several companies must show that their e-cigarette benefits public health and is not enticing to teenagers.
That means adult smokers who use them are likely to reduce their smoking or quit entirely, while teenagers will not get hooked to them when they try it.
The FDA originally stated that Juul's application had left health regulators with significant questions, and the data that the company submitted did not include enough information to evaluate any potential health risks.
However, Juul stated that they could submit all of the requirements that the FDA asked for, and the data they submitted addressed all of the issues raised.
Juul has requested a hold from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit while the court reviews the case.
On June 5, the FDA said that it had determined that "scientific issues" are unique to the Juul application that need more review.
Still, the stay and the review do not mean that Juul can still sell or ship its products in the United States. It just means that the ones already on the shelves will not be taken down yet.
Why the FDA Banned Juul
According to The Guardian, the FDA decided to ban the company's products a 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 and less enticing.
Juul was launched in 2015 and has led the way in e-cigarettes in the United States. It controlled 75% of the e-cigarette market in the country by 2018.
Juul became the fifth best-selling e-cigarette in the United Kingdom, with sales of £13.1 million or $15 million in 2021.
But the flavors like mango, mint, and creme brulee had led to charges because it enticed teenagers and encouraged them to smoke.
Anti-tobacco advocates, parents, and politicians all wanted to ban e-cigarettes because they believe that it has contributed to the rise in underage vaping. Meanwhile, vape supporters said that they help smokers cut back on smoking regular cigarettes.
According to a study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 2.5 million students in the United States used a tobacco product of some sort in 2021, and 80% of tobacco use was attributable to disposable e-cigarettes and cartridge products, like Juul.
About 2 million high school students, or 13% of the participants, and 470,000 middle-schoolers, or 4% of the participants, have reported that they are currently smoking.
Related Article: FDA Confirms Rejection of Almost 1 Million E-Cigarettes-But Retains Juul and Postpones Its Review Deadline
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Written by Sophie Webster
