FDA Approves Juul’s New Age-Verification System to Curb Underage Vaping

E-cigarette maker Juul is taking steps to curb underage use of its product. How will this be enforced, and why did Juul take action? Read on for all of the details.

FDA Gives Juul Labs Permission to Roll Out Age-Verification System

Juul Labs has been granted permission from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to move ahead with a planned age-verification system for its e-cigarette products. The FDA provided the permission at the end of August, issuing a formal marketing grant for the JUUL2 System. In addition to the new device, Juul said that it will release updated versions of its tobacco- and menthol-flavored cartridges.

This system includes an optional technology that verifies the user's age by pairing the device with a specially designed app. The app works by confirming the user's age before the product can be unlocked and used.  

According to Juul, the authentication method was developed in an effort “to address illicit products, and incorporates age-verification technology capabilities.” The company also confirmed that “the new devices will only work if authenticated pods are detected.” The goal of the capabilities is to crack down on the use of “counterfeit compatible pods.”

The announcement of the new technology comes after Juul was ordered to pay millions of dollars for its role in direct marketing strategies and sales that targeted teenagers. The vaping company reached the $438.5 million settlement in September of 2022.

The settlement was reached after nearly three dozen states expressed concern that Juul intentionally geared its marketing efforts to young people. The plaintiffs cited a number of examples of these shady practices, including providing free product samples, hiring young models that appeal to the teen demographic, and using social media to target the underage demographic.

E-Cigarette Use Among Teens Falls After 2019 Peak

The use of e-cigarettes among teens exploded about a decade ago. Tighter regulations and danger awareness campaigns have helped to curb the use of the product. Youth e-cigarette use peaked in 2019 and has fallen since that time. Teens in the U.S. who still vape note that they mostly use unauthorized disposable e-cigarettes in fruit and candy flavors that come from China.

After pressure from outside groups, Juul also removed many of its flavored pods from store shelves in 2019. Popular flavors such as creme and mango were largely favored by teens.

Juul Labs has been forced to lay off hundreds of employees in recent years due to the federal government lawsuit and other litigation from private citizens over the use of products by teens.  

Defenders of Juul and its products note that the e-cigarettes serve an important role in helping adults to kick their nicotine habit. According to Juul studies reviewed by the FDA, roughly 20% to 50% of cigarette smokers who lean on Juul products can stop smoking within six weeks. The success rates vary based on the e-cigarette flavors used.

As such, the FDA said that it "considers the risks and benefits to the U.S. population as a whole — including the benefits to adults who currently use tobacco products and switch to a potentially lower-risk product, as well as the risks posed to youth and non-users of tobacco products."

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