Juul e-cigarette ban: here’s what former FDA boss Dr Gottlieb has to say

Juul Labs is in focus on Thursday after the Food and Drug Administration barred it from selling its e-cigarettes in the United States.

Former FDA commissioner reacts to the news on CNBC

Yet, e-cigarettes from rivals RJ Reynolds, NJOY, and Logic remain authorised for sale in the U.S. Explaining why on CNBC’s “Squawk Box”, former FDA commissioner Dr Scott Gottlieb said:

Shares of Altria Group Inc (NYSE: MO) that has a 35% stake in Juul Labs have been sinking in recent hours. The decision sure is a big blow to the e-cigarettes maker that dubs U.S. its largest market.

Dr Gottlieb was behind FDA’s initial push to regulate nicotine

The announcement comes as part of the regulator’s broader push to regulate the vaping industry. Dr Gottlieb was behind the initial framework created to regulate nicotine levels in 2017.

Juul’s mint and fruit flavoured vapes were already banned in the U.S. in 2020. The FDA also wants tobacco companies to cut nicotine content in their products to minimally or non-addictive levels.