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The Food and Drug Administration is preparing to order Juul to stop selling e-cigarettes in the United States, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. Juul burst onto the scene in 2017, with its fruity-flavored vaping products becoming immensely popular, especially with teenagers.
After facing criticism from lawmakers and health officials, Juul stopped selling its fruit-flavored products in 2019. The move resulted in major losses for the company, which saw its value drop from $38 billion to less than $5 billion, Business Insider reported.
Juul applied for approval to continue selling its products in the U.S., claiming they help smokers quit smoking and provide a benefit to public health.
The FDA has been reviewing the application for the past two years and appears ready to order the company to pull its products off of store shelves. Last October, the agency granted approval to British American Tobacco Plc to sell its Vuse Solo e-cigarettes in the U.S. That decision led many experts to believe the FDA would also allow Juul to sell its e-cigarettes.
It is unclear why the FDA is moving forward with a decision to ban Juul's e-cigarettes, and the agency has not commented on the report.