Reynolds American Inc. says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should reign in Juul, reports CNBC.
Responding to federal data showing a significant increase in underage vaping, the FDA in March proposed limiting sales of fruity e-cigarette flavors to websites, vape shops and retailers that impose age restrictions.
The public comment period closed this week
Responding to the agency’s plans, Reynolds said that the FDA has already identified the main driver of youth interest: Juul.
“As the agency’s public statements confirm, underage users disproportionately prefer Juul to all other products,” the company wrote. “Armed with such knowledge, we believe the agency can take appropriately tailored steps to curb youth use.”
Juul countered that categorywide action is the best way to curb youth use.
“It is disappointing but not surprising to see a legacy tobacco company whose core business remains combustible cigarettes—the very product we intend to eliminate by offering adult smokers an alternative—attempting to thwart the category-wide regulation that’s needed,” Juul told CNBC.