WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration moved last week to ban Juul products from sale, but that’s not the end of it.
The order has been held up in court as Juul appeals. Anti-smoking advocates like the American Lung Association say they are optimistic Juul will not see a return to the market based on data they submitted to the FDA, but pro-vaping groups warn new regulations could backfire on public health.
“Yes, some progress is being made but more is necessary,” Paul Billings of the American Lung Association said.
He said Juul is to blame for fueling the teen vaping epidemic and says its devices should never have made it to the market in the first place.
“Sadly, in the interim, millions have become addicted,” Billings said.
He said the FDA should get all flavored and synthetic vaping products off the shelves.
“Congress has made it clear FDA has that authority and has put the FDA on a strict timeline,” Billings said.
But Juul is not going down without a fight and adult smoking advocates say they hope Juul’s appeal succeeds. They argue the FDA’s crusade will do more harm than good.
“I thinks FDA’s reasoning is flawed,” Guy Bentley of libertarian think tank Reason said. “If Juul was taken off the market, it would be a really devastating blow to public health. Juul has helped hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of smokers transition away from the most dangerous form of nicotine consumption, which is smoking cigarettes.”
“We need to recognize the facts of life,” he continued, “that people are going to seek out these products and seek out nicotine. It is far better to have safer alternatives in a regulated market than push things to the black market.”
There’s no telling how long the appeal process will take. In the meantime, Juul products are still being sold.