D.C. Council Should Give Juul the Cold Shoulder by Banning All Flavored Tobacco Products
Statement of Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
May 05, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to today’s news that Juul is moving its headquarters from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., the D.C. Council should give Juul the cold shoulder it deserves by banning the sale of all flavored tobacco products – just like San Francisco has done. D.C. leaders should send a loud and clear message that the company most responsible for creating the youth e-cigarette epidemic is not welcome in the Nation’s Capital. Their priority should be to protect the health of the District’s kids and to stop Juul and other tobacco companies from luring and addicting kids with appealing flavors. DC leaders deserve credit for already taking on Juul by filing a lawsuit against the company for marketing to kids and introducing legislation to take flavored products off the market.
It’s not surprising that Juul would pick Washington, D.C., as their new headquarters as they face a September 9 deadline to apply to the FDA to keep their products on the market and are doing everything they can to curry favor with federal policy makers. The FDA must use this review process to clear the market of all flavored e-cigarettes and to stop Juul from getting its flavored products back on the shelves and in front of kids. The evidence is clear that flavored products have fueled skyrocketing youth e-cigarette use.
With health experts warning that smoking and vaping can increase risk of severe complications from COVID-19, it is more critical than ever that policy makers take action to protect the health of our kids. That means standing up to Juul and other tobacco companies and getting rid of the flavored products that hook our kids.