Juul Labs received federal permission to market a new device, Juul2, with an optional online age-gating feature and updated tobacco and menthol cartridges; regulators stress the authorization is limited and not an endorsement.
Company studies reviewed by the FDA reported 20–50% of smokers using Juul products quit smoking after six weeks, though the FDA notes the decision is not an endorsement and non-smokers should not use e-cigarettes.
Juul has paid roughly $3 billion to resolve government and private lawsuits tied to teen use, cut jobs in recent years, and is no longer the U.S. market leader.
# What happened
Juul Labs got federal permission to sell an updated version of its e-cigarette. The company plans to brand the device Juul2 and to market updated tobacco- and menthol-flavored cartridges alongside it. The device includes an optional age-verification feature that users can enable through an online app to unlock the e-cigarette.
# Why the decision matters
The FDA reviewed company-provided studies showing that between 20% and 50% of smokers who used Juul products were able to stop smoking after six weeks. Those quit rates varied by flavor.
# Context about Juul's recent history
Juul has faced financial and legal setbacks tied to teen vaping. The company has laid off hundreds of employees and paid roughly $3 billion to settle government and private lawsuits related to underage use. In 2019 Juul discontinued several popular flavors, including mango, mint and creme, which had driven much of its earlier sales.
# What the new device includes
# How regulators framed the decision
The FDA noted that authorized e-cigarettes can help adult smokers reduce their exposure to harmful chemicals in combustible cigarettes if they switch completely. The agency also reminded the public that authorization does not mean the product is safe for people who do not already smoke.
# Related recent regulatory moves
Earlier in the year, the FDA had authorized the first fruit-flavored e-cigarettes intended for adult smokers, signaling a shift in how flavored products are reviewed and authorized.
# Practical takeaways for readers
If you are a smoker considering alternatives, the FDA's authorization means Juul2 can be legally sold and marketed in the U.S. If you are a parent or caregiver, the device's optional age-verification app is a new feature intended to reduce underage use, but past legal and public-health disputes over teen vaping remain part of Juul's recent record. If you follow the vaping market, note that Juul has lost its top-market position to Vuse.
# Quick facts
Vaping company Juul Labs on Friday received federal permission to sell an updated version of its e-cigarette, which includes an optional age-verification system designed to prevent underage use. The decision from the Food and Drug Administration allows the company to sell a new version of its top-selling vaping device
Juul plans to market the new device under the brand name Juul2, along with updated versions of its tobacco- and menthol-flavored cartridges.
A sublicensing agreement between R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. and Juul Labs Inc. relieves Reynolds of its obligation to pay ongoing royalties to Philip Morris parent company Altria Client Services LLC after a federal jury found that Reynolds infringed Altria's vape pen design, a North Carolina federal judge has ruled.
The U.S. International Trade Commission vacated an administrative law judge's determination that a Juul vape patent was invalid, reviving the company's case against Altria's NJOY business because of a claim construction issue.
Open the app view to save this story, compare related coverage, and continue from the same source.