FDA Cites 40 Retailers for Violations Related to Youth Sales of JUUL E-Cigarettes

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iIage of a JUUL e-cigarette device in a handPhoto by: CC BY-SA 4.0

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been conducting a nationwide effort to stop the sale of popular e-cigarette brands to youth, like JUUL, at brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers. Forty warning letters  to various retailers were issued in April 2018. The JUUL brand is especially popular in youth and teens because it resembles a flash drive and is therefore difficult for parents and teachers to recognize. These products have high levels of nicotine and emissions that are hard to see. Reports show that teens are using and liking these products without knowing that they contain nicotine. This is problematic because we know that an adolescent brain is still developing, and early nicotine use can cause changes in the brain that result in continued use as an adult.  Read more about the FDA press announcement.