Reactions Part 3 - US FDA JUUL MGO
Comments from organizations and individuals
July 17, 2025, and beyond.
A compilation of reactions by organizations and individuals to the announcement that JUUL received a marketing granted order (MGO) from the US FDA CTP. The authorized products were added to the list of nicotine products that can be legally sold in the United States.
This page, like the previous reactions pages, will be updated as further information becomes available. Please let me know if I’m missing any statements. You can send them to: mnsmokefree (@) gmail (dot) com.
The Series so far:
Part 1 - January 2025, reactions to the ZYN MGO, VLN rule, Menthol Rule, and the WHO made by organizations and individuals.
Part 2 - Media coverage of the events covered in Part 1, including who was quoted in those articles.
Coming Soon:
Part 4 - Media and Blogger coverage of the JUUL MGO, including who was quoted in those articles.
July 17, 2025, and later: Announcement and reactions:
Announcement:
FDA Authorizes Marketing of Tobacco- and Menthol-Flavored JUUL E-Cigarette Products FDA
TPL (Technical Project Lead Review) JUUL’s PMTAs
FDA Commissioner Makary on MSNBC comments on JUUL
The Continuum of Risk: FDA Authorizes JUUL Labs ENDS Products for U.S. Market
No announcement on the FDA Tobacco X (Twitter) account, like for previous MGOs.
Reactions with negative components: Politicians:
Senator Durbin Statement On Trump's FDA Allowing JUUL E-Cigarettes To Stay On The Market, Addict Children “I call on FDA Commissioner Makary to immediately reverse this decision and will be launching an investigation into the troubling circumstances that led to this decision.”
Congressman Krishnamoorthi Denounces FDA Authorization of Juul E-Cigarettes as Step Backward in Fight Against Youth Nicotine Addiction “Juul helped ignite the youth vaping epidemic, and the FDA’s decision to reauthorize its products—including menthol-flavored vapes popular with kids—is a profound mistake,” said Congressman Krishnamoorthi. “This ruling is a clear win for Big Tobacco and undermines years of bipartisan work to get these addictive products off the market. The FDA must reverse course before more young people are hooked for life.”
Congressman DeSaulnier Statement on FDA Reversal of Ban on Dangerous Juul E-Cigarettes “Juul is Big Tobacco with sleeker marketing. It is outrageous and dangerous that the FDA would approve Juul e-cigarettes for sale while in the same breath conceding that the reversal of the ban ‘does not mean these tobacco products are safe,’ especially when we know these products pose a particular threat to the health and safety of young people whom Juul has targeted with predatory marketing,” said Congressman DeSaulnier. “I have been at the forefront of trying to protect American consumers, particularly children, from greedy tobacco companies, including Juul, who care more about profits than public health. I will continue the fight in Congress to ban these products as long as they threaten the health of children and the general public.”
Senator Richard Blumenthal “This decision defies common sense & science. The FDA is aiding & abetting JUUL’s hooking an entire new generation on nicotine. Using flavors like menthol & manipulative marketing, its cunning pitches exploit misinformation & myths.”
Rep. Frank Pallone “Juul nearly singlehandedly reversed decades of progress to reduce teen smoking rates. Now Trump is giving the vape company carte blanche to market their products. It's a big step in the wrong direction from this Administration.”
Durbin, Senators Request Answers From FDA Regarding Dangerous Decision Allowing JUUL E-Cigarettes To Stay On The Market, Addict Children. “…a letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Makary sounding the alarm and demanding answers…In addition to Durbin, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). (View the letter here.)
Reactions with negative components: ORGS:
American Lung Association (ALA): FDA Authorizes Highly Addictive Juul, Responsible for Youth Vaping Epidemic "The American Lung Association is deeply troubled that FDA will permit Juul to remain on the market in the U.S. and is especially concerned to learn that Juul’s menthol flavor will continue being sold. These products have never met the Tobacco Control Act’s public health standard, and today’s decision risks further harm to youth...We urge FDA to reconsider its decision, and for state and local governments to act to end the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including all menthol cigarettes and e-cigarettes."
American Heart Association (AHA): FDA authorization of Juul menthol e-cigarettes raises concerns about youth tobacco use (worried about menthol, youth, need vigilance)
Lisa Lacasse: President, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network "The FDA’s decision to authorize Juul, including menthol, is a dangerous step backward. 1.6M youth still use e-cigs, and nearly 90% use flavored ones. The administration must reverse course and protect our kids, not Big Tobacco."
Prevent Cancer Foundation “We’re disappointed by the FDA’s decision to authorize JUUL products—a move that undermines the progress made to protect youth from e-cigarette addiction. Public health should come first.”
American Association for Respiratory Care - AARC Opposition Statement On the FDA’s Authorization of Juul E-Cigarette Products “This decision is deeply troubling and represents a step backward in efforts to protect young people from the harms of nicotine addiction and to reduce the burden of preventable respiratory disease…We urge the FDA to reconsider this decision and instead prioritize evidence-based measures that truly protect youth from e-cigarette addiction.”
American Academy of Pediatrics AAP FDA authorization of Juul e-cigarettes ‘very concerning’ for addiction, AAP leader says (website instead of PDF) “Any nicotine, especially in 3%-5% concentration, is highly addictive and dangerous for children and adolescents,” said Rachel Boykan, M.D., FAAP, chair of the AAP Section on Nicotine and Tobacco Prevention and Treatment. “We know that youth are attracted to flavors, including menthol. When the fruit and dessert flavors became less available with the first Juul regulations, menthol filled that void and became more popular. Since the vast majority of youth who initiate use of these products do so because of flavors, this increased availability will only perpetuate the uptake of nicotine use and subsequent addiction that we are working so hard to stop.”
Brian Grady, Urologist with Sutter Health. Vice Chair, California Medical Association. “After a battle that started here in San Francisco - a setback. But this is not over; we will continue to fight to protect children (and everyone).”
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids CTFK: FDA’s Authorization of Juul Is a Big Step Backward for Preventing Youth E-Cigarette Use "The FDA’s decision to authorize the sale of Juul e-cigarettes, including menthol-flavored products, risks a reversal of recent progress in reducing youth e-cigarette use. Largely because of Juul, e-cigarette use among high school students skyrocketed from 11.7% in 2017 to 27.5% in 2019, leading the U.S. Surgeon General to declare youth e-cigarette use an epidemic."
PAVe (Parents Against Vaping) "Incredibly disappointing, @FDATobacco Menthol flavor hooks kids on these harmful products! @FDACommissioner"
Dr. Kelly Henning (Public Health Lead at Bloomberg.org) "The FDA's decision to authorize Juul's menthol pods is a step backward. Flavors like menthol appeal to kids, and this move risks undoing years of progress in reducing youth e-cigarette use. @BloombergDotOrg remains committed to supporting partners working to prevent youth access to flavored e-cigarettes."
U.S. PIRG Education Fund “If, as Juul says, its longitudinal study suggests that these vaping devices help reduce adult smoking, that is great. But to prevent use by minors, no one should have access on demand — we should require a doctor’s prescription to access these devices for medical purposes.” (U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s Public Health Campaign Advocate Liam Sacino) - also: “FDA authorization of JUUL pods could reduce demand for wasteful disposables, but only if coupled with aggressive enforcement against disposables that deliberately evade regulations. Otherwise, green-lighting more vaping means we’ll likely see more vape waste littering our parks, beaches, and neighborhoods — and that’s not good for anyone’s health.” (U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s Designed to Last Campaign Director Lucas Gutterman)
Advocates Outraged Over FDA’s Juul Product Approvals (This article is paywalled)
Reactions from people in Tobacco Control:
Stantion Glantz - FDA ignores current science to give Juul a pass. “It is time for one or more public health groups or attorneys general who have sued Juul to challenge these authorizations in court.”
Jeffrey Willett - “More than 1,000 public health, medical, civic and religious organizations (listed on the attachment) supported the passage of the Tobacco Control Act…In addition, the leading U.S. tobacco control groups, including the American Lung Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, and Public Health Law Center, fought hard for the FDA to have regulatory authority over e-cigarettes through the Deeming Rule.
And yet today, many of these same organizations are openly criticizing the FDA’s authorization of JUUL e-cigarettes; a decision made under the very framework they championed.” (Note: The list attached to Jeff’s post is archived here and here.
Reactions with negative and positive components (or neutral reactions):
Truth Initiative: On FDA’s Authorization of JUUL Products “The FDA’s responsibility is to protect public health, and authorization decisions are based on a rigorous scientific review of whether a product is “appropriate for the protection of public health”—a high bar that includes consideration of both adults who smoke and the risks to youth…Continued vigilance must include strong post-market surveillance, regular reviews of marketing practices, and swift enforcement against any violations.”
Juul can keep selling tobacco and menthol e-cigarettes, FDA decides. Video is an interview with Dr. Robert Jackler. He acknowledges that some people have quit smoking by using vapes, including JUUL, at a slightly higher rate than NRTs. He does not believe that JUUL should have been granted an MGO due to the appeal to youth.
IDPH | Illinois Department of Public Health. “The FDA’s decision is based on whether JUUL’s products can show a potential benefit to adult smokers who might completely switch from cigarettes – not on whether they’re safe for youth or non-smokers…If you smoke, switching completely to a vape product might reduce harm. BUT if you don’t smoke, don’t start vaping. And if you’re trying to quit, FDA-approved tools like nicotine patches, gum, or counseling are safer.”
Partnership to End Addiction. “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Juul e-cigarettes for the U.S. market, ending a lengthy standoff with regulators and lawmakers who accused the company of spurring a youth vaping epidemic…The company was required to prove that the products were “appropriate for the protection of public health” under FDA rules. Juul said it did that in part by showing that its products had helped about 2 million adults quit smoking…But: Some advocates still say FDA should not have authorized products from a company involved in fueling youth vaping and highlight the risks the products pose to youth.”
Doctor discusses the FDA approval of marketing formerly banned Juul e-cigarettes. Dr. Michael Ong, a UCLA professor of medicine and health policy management, discusses the approval, e-cigarettes and their associated health risks.
Reactions with positive components:
Global Action Supports the FDA’s Authorization of Juul e-cigarettes for the Protection of Public Health. “Global Action is pleased to see the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recent authorization of Juul’s tobacco and menthol flavored e-cigarettes to provide adults who smoke with options to help them quit or reduce their risks. By authorizing alternative reduced risk products, this decision furthers our charitable mission to end combustible tobacco use—the leading preventable cause of death globally.”
Calls to Action:
National Association of Convenience Stores NACS Asks Trump Administration to Address Illicit Chinese Vapes. See the letter here.
Vapor Technology Association “The Vapor Technology Association recognizes that while the FDA’s decision to authorize JUUL Labs’ e-cigarette products for sale in the U.S. is a long-overdue step that reaffirms the role of vaping in helping adults quit smoking, one authorization is simply not enough to put a dent in the number of American lives lost to cigarettes.”
List of Edits:
July 27, 2025: Added Jeffrey Willett
July 29, 2025: Added U.S. PIRG Education Fund
July 29, 2025: Added Durbin press release from July 28
July 29, 2025: Added Partnership to End Addiction
July 29, 2025: Added Doctor discusses the FDA approval of marketing formerly banned Juul e-cigarettes
July 29, 2025: Added Joe Murillo
July 29, 2025: Added Pinney Associates
August 6, 2025: Added Global Action
Until next time…
Notes:
I create these newsletters as a personal project. They are not affiliated with any current or past employers or groups with which I volunteer. I receive no financial compensation for my efforts to create these newsletters.
My blog, Skip's Corner, has an X/Twitter account.
My personal accounts are on BlueSky, LinkedIn, and X (Twitter).