NORTHAMPTON — In response to a Gazette report Tuesday about the rise of Juuling among teenagers, Juul Labs says it is taking steps to curb electronic cigarette use in young people.
The company, which has the bulk of the electronic cigarette market, also announced that it will stop selling most flavored pods to over 90,000 retail stores and is eliminating its social media accounts. The actions come amid increasing scrutiny from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is expected to announce a ban of flavored e-cigarettes in some stores.
Juuling among minors has skyrocketed across the country in recent years, and in response, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has called it an epidemic.
In Hampshire County, 21 percent of 12th graders, 13 percent of 10th graders, and five percent of eighth graders surveyed had used an electronic cigarette in the past 30 days. High school students interviewed by the Gazette said Juuling is a widespread problem among young people, that it happens during school in bathrooms and classrooms and some said they think their peers are addicted to it.
Juul has been criticized for targeting its product at teens with sweet flavors, and in late September the FDA seized documents from the company about its marketing and sales strategies, The New York Times reported.
In a statement to the Gazette on Tuesday, Juul Labs said it does not want young people to use their product.
Ted Kwong, a spokesperson, wrote: “We cannot be more emphatic on this point: no young person or non-nicotine user should ever try JUUL. Underage use of JUUL and any other vaping products is completely unacceptable to us and is directly opposed to our mission of eliminating cigarettes by offering existing adult smokers a true alternative.”
Juul’s mission, its website says, is to sell products to current cigarette smokers as an alternative.
Kwong added that the company is working to strengthen the age-verification system on its website to ensure buyers are 21 or older and put nicotine warning labels on their products. And, Kwong said, over the past six months, Juul Labs removed thousands of social media posts that “portray our product in unauthorized and youth-oriented manners.”
In Massachusetts, less than 3 percent of adults use e-cigarettes while 23 percent of high school students do, according to 2015 data from the Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program.
Juul’s market is predominantly youth, said Heather Warner, coordinator of the Strategic Planning Initiative for Families and Youth, a county-wide coalition that focuses on the health of young adults.
“That is who they make money off of,” Warner said. “So short of shutting down their complete operation, they will continue to make profits off the backs of young people.”
Warner said that Juul’s recently announced decision to stop selling flavored pods in retail stores could be a step in the right direction. But she explained that in Hampshire County many cities and towns have already restricted sale of flavored tobacco products to people ages 21 and older and younger people are still getting it.
“This doesn’t really eliminate the problem of youth access,” Warner said. “We know that youth are accessing it.”
According to Melinda Calianos, director of Hampshire Franklin Tobacco Free Partnership, Granby, Amherst, South Hadley, Easthampton, Southampton, Northampton, Amherst, Hatfield and Hadley have passed local rules on the sale of flavored tobacco products in 2016 or earlier.
Warner said that the stronger regulation is needed, and that the FDA needs to step up.
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey tweeted Tuesday in reaction to Juul’s announcement to stop selling most of its favored pods in stores.
“It’s about time,” Healey tweeted. “Unfortunately much of the damage has already been done and vaping in schools has reached epidemic proportions in Massachusetts. Our investigation into JUUL’s practices — including if it was knowingly selling and marketing to minors – will continue.”
In July, Healey announced an investigation into electronic cigarette companies, including Juul Labs, for theirpotential marketing and sale of products to minors.