Juul suspends sales of most e-cigarette flavors ahead of expected crackdown

E-cigarette manufacturer Juul is suspending the sales of all of its popular fruity flavors ahead of a potential nationwide ban, the company announced Thursday.

The company said it is pulling mango, creme, fruit and cucumber flavors off the market, but will continue to sell tobacco and menthol flavors.  

CEO K.C. Crosthwaite said the company is in the middle of a “reset” because of the public’s lack of trust in the e-cigarette industry. He said Juul will submit products to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for regulatory review. 

{mosads} “We must reset the vapor category by earning the trust of society and working cooperatively with regulators, policymakers, and stakeholders to combat underage use while providing an alternative to adult smokers,” Crosthwaite said.

Crosthwaite, a former executive at tobacco company Altria, took over as CEO late last month. Removing flavors is the company’s latest effort to preempt a major move from the federal government.

One of Crosthwaite’s first actions was to suspend all broadcast, print and digital product advertising in the U.S. He also announced Juul would not lobby the administration over President Trump’s decision to remove all flavors from the market— including mint and menthol. 

Last year, Juul stopped selling its flavor pods in retail stores just ahead of an FDA guidance that would enact a similar rule. Customers were only able to purchase flavors on the company’s website, which added additional age-verification measures.

The administration’s crackdown is coming amid a massive spike in teen vaping and the spread of a mysterious vaping-linked illness that has sickened thousands of people across the country.

Trump and health officials said all flavored e-cigarettes would be removed from the market until the FDA reviews them and determines they are safe enough to be sold. However, the policy has not yet been unveiled.