BREAKING: FDA inspects Juul Labs

It was a surprise. On Sept. 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a sudden inspection at the San Francisco headquarters of Juul Labs. The regulatory agency seized “thousands of pages of documents” the relate to the vapor manufacturer’s marketing practices.

On Sept. 12, Juul Labs, alongside four of the largest cigarette manufacturers in the U.S., was accused by the FDA of marketing their products to youth. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb stated that teen use of e-cigarettes like Juul have reached an “epidemic proportion of growth,” and promised to take “historic action” action against the companies it believes markets to young people.

“The new and highly disturbing data we have on youth use demonstrates plainly that e-cigarettes are creating an epidemic of regular nicotine use among teens,” the FDA stated. “It is vital that we take action to understand and address the particular appeal of, and ease of access to, these products among kids.”

Juul representatives have repeatedly stated that they do not market to youth. The vapor maker had already turned over more than 50,000 documents to the FDA. “We want to be part of the solution in preventing underage use, and we believe it will take industry and regulators working together to restrict youth access,” Kevin Burns, CEO for Juul Labs, said.