JUUL Splits from the Vapor Technology Association over FDA Lawsuit
JUUL, a vape giant, has resigned from the Vapor Technology Association due to major policy differences.
These policies include JUUL’s position that certain e liquid flavours should not be sold in the USA, and its belief that there should be an age limit of 21 for all vaping products.
JUUL has announced that it will not renew its Automobile Technology Book membership in the VTA this month, a surprise to the wider vaping community.
The VTA, on behalf of 800 vapers and others across the country, filed a lawsuit last week challenging the FDA’s decision not to extend the deadline for vape companies seeking FDA approval for all products.
I wrote an extensive piece about the lawsuit, The Fight To Save American Vaping has Begun.
The lawsuit aims to extend or stop the deadline for Pre-Market Tobacco Product Applications [PMTA] submissions. This is the expensive process that vape companies will need to go through in order to legally sell vape products in the USA.
It’s expensive, and I mean it. Each PMTA can cost up to $460,000.
Smaller companies won’t be able to afford a single PMTA. This is true for all products, from drip science ambassador scholarship tips to coils.
JUUL says they’re at odds with many VTA Policies
VTA believes that the PMTA process in America will not only destroy the vape industry and cause job losses, but also pose a risk to the health of the country.
JUUL gave a brief explanation of the reasons behind the pullout in a concise statement:
We remain fully committed to the PMTA process. We are confident in the quality and content of the materials that we will submit with the application by May 2020.
We will not appeal the District of Maryland federal court case and we also don’t support the Vapor Technology Association’s recent lawsuit against FDA in the Eastern District of Kentucky.
We have enjoyed the opportunity to work with the VTA. However, we won’t renew our membership later in the month because we aren’t aligned on too much of the critical policy issues.
We support, for example, clean tobacco 21 legislation and an outright ban of certain flavors.
JUUL Labs will continue its focus on youth use of vapor products, including JUUL, while also preserving the historic chance to switch adult smokers from combustible cigarettes.
Things that make you think… I’ll address the deeper issue of why JUUL left the VTA in a moment.
Concerning the VTA, I stated that they were surprised by JUUL’s decision. Especially since the characteristics of science representative of the company was present at the VTA board meeting to discuss the lawsuit.