Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal's Hails FDA's Ruling Banning the Sale of JUUL Vape Products

Finally! I am immensely gratified that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has dealt Juul a death blow by ordering it to stop selling its vaping products on the US market. Since I introduced in 2009 the state's first bill regulating e-cigarette sales, I, along with countless advocates, have been sounding the alarm about Juul and its deceptive and manipulative marketing.

Juul is almost single-handedly responsible for the vaping crisis among this country’s youth. Ripping a page out of Big Tobacco’s playbook, Juul aggressively and recklessly marketed its products to young people and teens, with the hopes of hooking the next generation on nicotine products.

While I am pleased the FDA finally took this long overdue step to finally end Big Tobacco 2.0’s stranglehold on the market, so much damage has already been done. In the last decade, vaping products have flooded the market and millions of teens and young people have struggled with health problems associated with e-cigarette use.

Just like you can’t put the vape back in the pen, we cannot put the vaping genie back in the bottle, but we can commit to addressing the continuing public health crisis caused by Big Tobacco 2.0, by investing resources in prevention, education and treatment and recovery services. And no doubt Juul will sue to contest the FDA's decision. I will continue to lead this fight and work with my colleagues to provide support to young people and adults who need assistance on their journey to stop vaping.