FDA Temporarily Suspends Ban on Juul E-Cigarettes

To remain on the market, e-cigarette manufacturers must prove there is a public health benefit with their use

WEDNESDAY, July 6, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday temporarily suspended its ban on electronic cigarettes sold by Juul Labs while the company appeals the agency’s action.

The FDA Center for Tobacco Products wrote on Twitter that “the agency has determined that there are scientific issues unique to the Juul application that warrant additional review,” but added that the additional review does not rescind the June 23 ban that ordered the company to pull its products from store shelves. “The stay and the agency’s review does not constitute authorization to market, sell, or ship Juul products,” the agency stressed.

The vaping company got a temporary reprieve from the ban on June 24 after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit granted a stay to the FDA decision in an effort to give the court enough time to consider the case.

To remain on the market, e-cigarette manufacturers must prove there is a public health benefit with their use by showing that they reduce nicotine consumption among adult smokers or that teenagers are unlikely to use them.

The original FDA recall was a part of an effort to bring dramatic changes to the relatively young vaping industry after years of regulatory delays.

Reaction to Tuesday’s news was swift. “It is deeply disappointing and harmful to our nation’s kids that the FDA has issued an administrative stay of its marketing denial order for Juul’s e-cigarette products,” Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said in a statement. “We are nearly 10 months past a court-ordered deadline for the FDA to complete its review of e-cigarette marketing applications and can’t afford more delays by the FDA in removing kid-friendly products from the market. The FDA’s continued delays are inexcusable and leave our kids at risk.”