Calls for crackdown on Britain’s favourite e-cigarette Juul after massive changes in the US
THE firm behind the controversial “iPhone of e-cigarettes” has announced it would be suspending selling flavoured e-cigarette pods in the US after claims of targeting teens.
Vaping giant Juul, which had come under fire for striking a deal to be sold in all 1,400 Sainsbury's stores earlier this month, has also scrapped all of its American social media channel promos.
Juul, which has 70 per cent of the e-cigarette market in America, faced mounting government pressure in the country over allegedly contributing heavily to a rise in nicotine addiction among nonsmoking teens.
The e-cigarette maker has now agreed to temporarily halt sales of all flavours except tobacco, menthol and mint in all retailers until shops can verify the buyer's age.
Chief executive Kevin Burns said Juul did not want to be "an on-ramp for America's youth" to take up smoking.
The flavoured pods are still available to purchase on the company's website, though it does now include a system preventing sales to under 21-year-olds.
Juul's timely announcement effectively undercuts the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) plan to curb teenage vaping.
In September, the FDA revealed it was considering banning the sale of flavoured e-cigarettes after health experts feared the devices were to blame for an "epidemic" of young people vaping.
The FDA gave the five biggest e-cigarette makers, including Juul, 60 days to show how they plan to stop sales to youngsters.
A spokeswoman for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, called the San Francisco-based company's announcement too little too late.
And campaigners have called for similar tough action to be taken against Juul and other e-cig brands in the UK.
Matt Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, told the Guardian Juul took off in the US with a glitzy social media campaign showing the vapes “being used by young, attractive adults in social, sexual settings that made it look like the coolest new thing”.
He called on the UK government to take action to prevent Juul becoming the popular powerhouse among teens that it is in America.
He said: “It is essential for the government to rapidly step in and prevent the sort of social media marketing that turned this into a fad.”
And Simon Capewell, Professor of Public Health and Policy at the University of Liverpool, blasted the recent move to sell the flavoured pods in Sainsbury's in the UK.
He said: "A great day for the tobacco industry, a bad day for British kids.
“Sainsbury’s should hang their heads in shame.”
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A spokesperson for Juul told Sun Online: “Our mission is to help the one billion adult smokers around the world switch away from combustible cigarettes to a satisfying and effective alternative.
“We are adamant that no young person or non-nicotine user should ever try our product.
“Today’s announcement of a series of measures in the United States reflects our commitment to addressing the issue of underage use in that market, which is unacceptable, and to ensure that our product is used as intended by adult smokers only.”