Today, the United States Food and Drug Administration reversed their market denial order issued two years ago for products sold by Juul Labs, Inc., according to the FDA.
The agency issued a ban on the vape products in June of 2022 due to insufficient evidence on whether or not the vape product adhered to federal public health standards, the FDA said in a press release.
Specifically, the FDA published its concern over the “potentially harmful chemicals leaching from the company’s proprietary e-liquid pods.” Throughout this period of market authorization denial, the e-cigarette products remained available for purchase awaiting an appeal that required additional review by the courts. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Former FDA Official Violated Ethics Rules By Soliciting Gifts From Activists, Watchdog Alleges)
Since the initial ban in 2022, the FDA states there have been multiple legal rulings on e-cigarette sales as well as newly emerged research on the issues regarding vape usage. Since 2022, multiple manufacturers who have submitted pre-market tobacco product applications have since been denied. On May 12, 2023, the agency denied ten applications from vape manufacturers, banning an estimated total of 6,500 different e-cigarette products, according to the FDA press release.
Juul Labs released a statement on the FDA decision stating they “remain confident in the quality and substance of our applications” and the products will still be available for public consumption. Juul Labs reportedly lost significant investors during their ongoing legal and administrative obstacles and experienced a series of financial troubles, according to NBC.
The Center for Disease Control noted vape usage has spiked, with an estimated 46% growth between 2020 and 2022. The Daily Caller reported earlier this year of a case where a 22-year-old needed a double lung transplant following consistent e-cigarette consumption and was told by health care professionals he only had a ‘1% chance of living’.
The reversal of the market denial order does not signify that Juul products are authorized for sale. The FDA will continue to monitor updated information on the toxicological properties to determine whether the e-cigarettes will be allowed to stay on shelves, according to the FDA.
