Juul can continue selling tobacco and menthol flavored e-cigarettes, FDA says

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on July 17, 2025, that the Juul e-cigarette brand is now authorized to continue selling its tobacco and menthol-flavored products. According to the agency, studies provided by Juul indicate that its devices represent a "less harmful alternative" for adult smokers who quit smoking completely in favor of vaping. This authorization applies to the original Juul system, a reusable device that uses nicotine cartridges available in two strengths.[1].

Persistent criticism of the dangers of Juul for young people

This decision is not unanimous. Many parents, elected officials, and public health organizations strongly oppose Juul's continued presence on the market. They believe the company bears significant responsibility for the youth vaping crisis that began in the late 2010s.

For Yolonda Richardson, executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, it's " It is a big step in the wrong direction to allow the sale of the product that is causing this public health crisis. Juul e-cigarette use among high school students has exploded, from 11.7 % in 2017 to 27.5 % in 2019. According to the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey, Juul remains in the top 5 most popular e-cigarette brands among young Americans, with 12.6 % of current e-cigarette users in middle and high school. Juul is even the third most popular e-cigarette brand among middle school vaping users.[2].

The American Lung Association (ALA) has also blamed Juul for the surge in youth vaping. This is a serious misstep. " said Ranjana Caple, ALA's chief advocacy officer, in a statement. Juul is responsible for the youth vaping epidemic, and its products have hooked a generation of children on nicotine. Allowing these products is a blatant failure to protect public health. »[3].

Juul, at its peak, was valued at more than $13 billion (€11 billion), but the company has since had to cut hundreds of jobs and pay out billions of dollars in lawsuits.

A journey marked by legal action

Launched in 2015 by two Stanford students, Juul has enjoyed meteoric growth thanks to its compact, highly nicotine-rich devices and flavors like mango, mint, and crème brûlée. Cigarette maker Philip Morris Altria acquired a majority stake in the device in 2018.

In 2022, lawsuits filed by families of Juul users, school districts, city governments, and Native American tribes resulted in the company paying $1.7 billion (€1.46 billion). The settlement also required the company to pay $1.1 billion (€945 million) to US states. The proceedings had notably highlighted, through the release of internal documents, the extent of the marketing strategies aimed at attracting a very young audience.

Since the lawsuits, Juul has pulled its fruity and sweet flavors, once popular with teens, from the market to focus on tobacco and menthol flavors. It thus became one of only two companies in the United States, along with NJOY, authorized to sell menthol products, a flavor particularly popular with adults.

In 2022, the FDA initially ordered the removal of Juul products from the market, citing insufficient scientific data from the manufacturer and the possible presence of harmful substances. However, following a legal challenge filed by the manufacturer and while the company was in near bankruptcy, the federal agency agreed to reevaluate the matter. The recent decision does not amount to an endorsement or promotion by the FDA: it simply means that the product is considered potentially beneficial to public health if used by adult smokers as a means of quitting smoking. Five vaping products, including the Juul device and Juul tobacco- and menthol-flavored pods, with nicotine concentrations of 3 % and 5 % each, were reauthorized.[4].

Juul now hopes to obtain approval for a new device and possibly offer new flavors in the future. Today, the brand is no longer the market leader, now dominated by Vuse, from cigarette maker British American Tobacco.

This rescue of Juul also comes at a time of strong influence of the tobacco industry on the Trump administration. The latter, since his re-election in January 2025, has largely financially supported by a subsidiary of the cigarette manufacturer Reynolds American, in particular withdrew the United States from the WHO And buried the ban on menthol cigarettes. In addition, the FDA has been particularly targeted by the new administration with mass layoffs, including its tobacco product regulator and nicotine.

Recent data indicates a notable decline in teen vaping, thanks in part to increased scrutiny of unauthorized products often imported from China, such as Elf Bar disposable e-cigarettes. However, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids points out that more than 1.6 million American youth still use e-cigarettes, and nearly 90 percent of them consume flavored vaping products. Marketing its products and flavors remains a major challenge for this manufacturer.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1]CBS News, Juul can keep selling tobacco and menthol e-cigarettes, FDA decides, published July 17, 2025, accessed July 18, 2025

[2]Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, FDA's Authorization of Juul Is a Big Step Backward for Preventing Youth E-Cigarette Use, published July 17, 2025, accessed July 18, 2025

[3]Weixel Nathaniel, FDA reverses ban on sale of Juul e-cigarettes, The Hill, published July 17, 2025, accessed July 18, 2025

[4]Rumney Emma, Bharat Mistry Anuja, FDA approves Juul's tobacco and menthol e-cigarettes, Reuters, published July 18, 2025, accessed July 18, 2025

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