FDA bans Juul vaping products as part of nicotine crackdown

William Brangham:

Judy, the FDA first began scrutinizing Juul in 2019, when its fruit-flavored vaping pods ads and marketing strategy prompted accusations that the company was specifically targeting young people. Those flavors were eventually removed, and Juul is no longer nearly as dominant in the market as it once was. But it is still a big player in vaping.

And now the company is blocked from selling any products. This comes just days after the FDA said it was considering setting a strict cap on the amount of nicotine allowed in cigarettes.

Joining me now is someone who has long pressed for these kinds of moves. Matthew Myers is the president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Matthew Myers, great to have you back on the "NewsHour."

Let's talk about this Juul ban first. What do you make of this announcement?

Matthew Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: This is probably the most significant action FDA has taken to reverse the youth e-cigarette epidemic.

We need to remember that Juul, more than any other company, was largely responsible for the meteoric rise in youth e-cigarette use between 2015 and, until recently, 2020. What we saw was literally doubling of the number of kids addicted to nicotine, levels that we haven't seen in 20, 25 years.

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