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Juul Labs Stops Selling Mint-Flavored E-Cigs In The United States

Rerolled from a High Times Original Article


WASHINGTON (AP) — Juul Labs said Thursday it will halt U.S. sales of its best-selling, mint-flavored electronic cigarettes as it struggles to survive a nationwide backlash against vaping.

The voluntary step
comes days after new government research showed that Juul is the top
brand among high schoolers who use e-cigarettes and that many prefer
mint.

“These results are unacceptable,” said the company’s CEO
K.C. Crosthwaite, adding in a statement that the company must “earn the
trust of society.”

Underage vaping has reached what health
officials call epidemic levels. In the latest government survey, 1 in 4
high school students reported using e-cigarettes in the previous month,
despite federal law banning sales to those under 18.

Under fire
for its alleged role in sparking the vaping craze among teens, Juul has
made a series of concessions to try and weather a crackdown from local,
state and federal officials. It stopped selling popular fruit and
dessert flavors in stores last year, and last month, stopped selling
them online, too.

Earlier, the company replaced its CEO and
pledged to stop advertising its products. For years, Juul has argued
that its e-cigarettes are intended to help adult smokers switch to a
less harmful nicotine product. But its early marketing campaigns were
mainly on social media and featured young, stylish models. The company
subsequently shuttered its Facebook and Instagram accounts.

After
halting mint sales, Juul will only sell menthol and tobacco flavors.
Mint and menthol accounted for nearly 60% of the company’s retail sales
in the past year, according to data compiled by Wells Fargo analyst
Bonnie Herzog.

Fruit, candy, dessert and other flavored
e-cigarettes have been targeted because of their appeal to underage
users. Federal health officials are expected to soon release plans for
removing most vaping flavors from the market, and Juul has said it will
support and comply with that government policy.

In September,
President Donald Trump said the flavor ban would include mint and
menthol flavors. However, no details have yet been released, leading
vaping opponents to worry that the administration is backing away from
its original plan.

Representatives for those groups immediately criticized Juul for not also pulling its menthol flavor.

“If
they really wanted to keep the kids away they would also get rid of
menthol,” said Meredith Berkman of Parents Against Vaping E-Cigarettes.
“We hope the administration will understand that too — they should be
taking menthol off the market.”

Mint and menthol have often been treated interchangeably by vaping researchers.

But
a new study released Monday suggests menthol doesn’t have the same
appeal as mint. The study found that mint was the most popular flavor
among Juul users in 10th and 12th grades and the second-most popular
among middle-schoolers. In contrast, less than 6% of teenagers across
all grades preferred menthol. The study by University of Southern
California researchers was based on a survey that included 1,800 Juul
users.

Flavors have been banned from traditional cigarettes in the U.S. since 2009, except for menthol.

San
Francisco-based Juul is the best-selling e-cigarette brand in the U.S.
The privately held company has been besieged by legal troubles,
including multiple investigations by Congress, federal agencies and
several state attorneys general. The company is also being sued by
adults and underage Juul users who claim they became addicted to
nicotine through the company’s products.

E-cigarettes typically heat a solution that contains nicotine, which makes cigarettes and e-cigarettes addictive.

By Matthew Perrone

The post Juul Labs Stops Selling Mint-Flavored E-Cigs In The United States appeared first on High Times.


Rerolled from High Times