The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized products made by vape company Juul Labs for the marketplace, after it was banned nearly three years ago.
Juul was once at the top of the e-cigarette marketplace in the late 2010s, but faced a series of controversies. In 2022, the FDA ordered the company to cease sales over toxicology questions, and that ban was later paused while the FDA was reviewing data.
The FDA said in an email Thursday it approved the company’s original vaporizer and refill cartridges with tobacco and menthol flavors to be sold in the U.S. following an “extensive scientific review.”
“This is an important milestone for the company and I think we made a scientifically sound case for the role that menthol can play in e-vapor,” Juul CEO K.C. Crosthwaite said.
The company has long faced scrutiny from federal and local governments over allegations it marketed its product to children and teens. In 2020, the company was banned from selling flavored cartridges, including its creme brulee, mango, and mint flavors, over concerns about youth vaping and addiction.
E-cigarettes were launched into the market in 2006. Since Juul launched in 2015, teen tobacco use has increased significantly. One study found that daily use of vape devices increased from 2% in 2015 to 7.2% in 2019 among U.S. adolescents.
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Juul has denied any allegations that it marketed its products to children and teenagers. In 2023, the company entered a $1.7 billion legal settlement across more than 5,000 lawsuits.
Juul will now be one of two companies authorized to sell menthol e-cigarettes in the U.S.