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JUUL suspends flavoured e-cigarette sales to curb teen use | JUUL suspends flavoured e-cigarette sales to curb teen use |
(35 minutes later) | |
E-cigarette maker JUUL Labs has agreed to temporarily halt sales of certain flavours in a bid to curb teenage use of their product. | E-cigarette maker JUUL Labs has agreed to temporarily halt sales of certain flavours in a bid to curb teenage use of their product. |
Sales of all flavours except tobacco, menthol and mint will be halted in all retailers - except on JUUL's website - until shops can verify the buyer's age. | Sales of all flavours except tobacco, menthol and mint will be halted in all retailers - except on JUUL's website - 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. | Chief executive Kevin Burns said JUUL did not want to be "an on-ramp for America's youth" to take up smoking. |
The company is under pressure to curb its popularity among the young. | The company is under pressure to curb its popularity among the young. |
In September, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was considering banning the sale of flavoured e-cigarettes, citing an "epidemic" of use among teens. | In September, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was considering banning the sale of flavoured e-cigarettes, citing an "epidemic" of use among teens. |
The FDA gave the five biggest agencies - JUUL, Vuse, MarkTen, blu e-cigs, and Logic - 60 days to come forward with plans to address the concerns, or face penalties. | The FDA gave the five biggest agencies - JUUL, Vuse, MarkTen, blu e-cigs, and Logic - 60 days to come forward with plans to address the concerns, or face penalties. |
Under its new rules, JUUL will no longer sell products to anyone under 21 years of age - even in states where the legal age to buy such products is lower. | Under its new rules, JUUL will no longer sell products to anyone under 21 years of age - even in states where the legal age to buy such products is lower. |
The company will halt sales of the flavoured products in all retail outlets until those shops can prove they have a system in place to verify consumer's ages. | The company will halt sales of the flavoured products in all retail outlets until those shops can prove they have a system in place to verify consumer's ages. |
Moreover, JUUL is shutting down its Instagram and Facebook social media channels, and said it would work with companies to take "unauthorised, youth-oriented content" from these platforms related to its products. | Moreover, JUUL is shutting down its Instagram and Facebook social media channels, and said it would work with companies to take "unauthorised, youth-oriented content" from these platforms related to its products. |
There were however concerns the company is not going far enough. | |
JUUL was expected to permanently discontinue its fruity flavours, rather than merely halting their sales temporarily, according to a report by US broadcaster CNBC last week. | |
Altria, the tobacco firm which owns Marlboro, announced it would stop selling several of its e-cigarette products altogether in October in response to FDA concerns. | |
The JUUL's small size, multiple flavours and discrete shape - it looks somewhat like a USB drive - has made it a hit among teens in the US. | |
"In my opinion it looks like the coolest thing ever," one student told the New York Times in an article on the new phenomenon. "Almost futuristic." | |
JUUL has cornered close to 75% of the e-cigarette market in the US, up from 13.6% early in 2017. | |
The appeal of e-cigarettes to teens is widespread and has raised alarms in other countries, including the UK. | The appeal of e-cigarettes to teens is widespread and has raised alarms in other countries, including the UK. |
However, there is little consensus about how to regulate the industry. | However, there is little consensus about how to regulate the industry. |
In August, a parliamentary committee in the UK issued a report calling for rules regarding e-cigarettes to be relaxed. | In August, a parliamentary committee in the UK issued a report calling for rules regarding e-cigarettes to be relaxed. |
It cited estimates from Public Health England that e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than normal cigarettes. | It cited estimates from Public Health England that e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than normal cigarettes. |
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