Juul is discontinuing its sales of mint Juul pods, citing studies released from different surveys. The announcement comes a week after a lawsuit was filed against Juul, claiming the company shipped out 1 million batches of contaminated mint e-liquid.
The company said in an announcement that all sales of mint-flavored Juul pods would cease both online and in stores. Studies from the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey and the Monitoring the Future survey revealed that young people are 31% more likely to use an e-cigarette because of available flavors like mint, candy, and fruit. The studies also showed that this the largest year-to-year increase recorded in vaping in young people.
“These results are unacceptable and that is why we must reset the vapor category in the U.S. and earn the trust of society by working cooperatively with regulators, Attorneys General, public health officials, and other stakeholders to combat underage use. We will support the upcoming FDA flavor policy and will follow the PMTA process,”Juul Labs CEO K.C. Crosthwaite said in the company’s announcement.
A lawsuit was filed against the company by a former employee alleging that batches of Juul’s mint e-liquid were found to be contaminated during a March 12 meeting, but that the pods we still shipped to retailers and sold to customers. Juul previously told Digital Trends that the allegations about the products are false and that the product met all applicable specifications.
A Juul spokesperson told Digital Trends that the recent decision to discontinue the Mint Juul pods is not a result of the lawsuit.
“We believe strongly in the quality of all our products. In light of the recent surveys, Juul Labs has decided to immediately stop accepting orders from our retail partners for our Mint Juul pods in the U.S. and cease the sale of Mint Juul pods in the U.S. through our e-commerce site,” the spokesperson told Digital Trends.
The only e-cigarette flavors that Juul sells now in the U.S. are Virginia tobacco, classic tobacco, and menthol.
The company has been at the forefront of the vaping illness epidemic over its marketing practices and availability of flavors that cater to a younger crowd.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) started an investigation against Juul in August. Along with the FTC, state attorney generals are looking into whether Juul targets minors with its marketing and flavored e-cigarettes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and federal authorities are also conducting separate investigations into the company.
In June, San Francisco, where Juul is headquartered, became the first city in the U.S. to ban the sales of e-cigarettes. Since then, Massachusetts, Michigan, California, and New York have made similar bans to flavored vaping products amid health concerns. President Donald Trump has also said that he wants to ban flavored e-cigarettes nationwide and issue new regulatory guidance on vapes.
