Regardless of your thoughts on vaping and the vaping industry, it’s safe to say that Juul has quickly distinguished themselves as the trendy rising star.
However, the e-cig enterprise has been catching some bad press due to their products being a favorite among underage consumers. Juul’s have been popping up in schools and other youth-filled spaces much to parent’s and teacher’s dismay. And agencies like the Food and Drug Administration have started to question the marketing and design of the product.
If you’re unfamiliar with Juul, they are sleekly designed vape devices. The device uses ready-made cartridges instead of e-liquid. Stylish and inconspicuous, it’s no wonder these devices are a popular choice among youth.
It seems, however, that Juul is finally responding to allegations questioning the intentions of their product. Juul Labs recently announced a sizable $30M investment to fight underage vaping. The San Fransisco company will use the funds to support research as well as forming an expert panel tasked with fighting the rise of underage vaping.
Juul has also pledged to support both state and federal minimum age legislative changes, raising the legal age to purchase from 18 to 21.
The vaping industry is showing no signs of slowing down, now further evidenced by steep declines in tobacco stocks shaking long-time investors of the historically predictable industry.
There are certainly still a few kinks to work out in the vaping industry as a whole, but Juul coming out and addressing mounting concerns seems to be a step in the right direction.
Juul also has a Youth Prevention page on their website. Which among other things states demands for “reseller terms that include monitoring and penalties for noncompliance with underage restrictions”; collaborations with “school districts and law enforcement on local youth prevention initiatives”; and “providing intervention and prevention curricula for teaching students in grades six through twelve to schools”.
