Juul Vape's Growing Cloud of Problems Expands and Federal Government Opens Criminal Investigation

The e-cigarette giant, Juul, is already facing a strong reaction following allegations that he had intentionally announced to underage users and deployed deceptive marketing tactics. But its problems could worsen further, the Wall Street Journal reporting Monday that federal prosecutors were preparing a "criminal investigation" on the company.

The review's report contained few details, except that the US District Attorney's Office in California is behind the investigation and is still in its infancy. The "focus" of the probe could not be determined. However, the paper notes that Juul is already facing numerous investigations, including a Federal Trade Commission investigation into whether it was marketed to minors, a Food and Drug Administration investigation "covering marketing and awareness , as well as the high nicotine content of Juul's refill capsules, "And investigations conducted by at least six state attorneys general:

A spokesman for Juul did not comment immediately … A spokesman for the US prosecutor's office said he could neither confirm nor deny an ongoing investigation.

Juul says its products are only for adults who want to quit. But its meteoric rise has been associated with a skyrocketing rate of teenage use. Data published by the Centers for Disease Control reveal that more than one in four American high school students used a vape last month and its $ 12.8 billion deal to divest a minority stake in Altria titan tobacco. did not really help his image. Juul made some changes, including closing down his social media accounts and stopping the sale of most of his scents last year, but many users simply turned to others again on the market like mint or have turned to their competitors (including imitated im pods).

The US vaping industry is also facing an existential threat as the CDC investigates hundreds of cases of VAPI across the country that killed at least nine people. Most, but not all, cases involved THC-based products that could have been cut with dangerous additives, such as vitamin E acetate, rather than nicotine-based products sold by companies such as Juul. However, the CDC and other health authorities have warned that they have not identified a single cause and that problems with the use of the body pressure virus infection and adolescents have been somewhat confused. .

The consequences have already been major. The New York Department of Health banned all flavored vaping products other than tobacco or menthol this month as Michigan authorities implemented a similar ban. Walmart announced that it would stop selling vaping products last week. Meanwhile, the only good news for Juul that seems to be emerging is that the prospect of a federal ban on flavored electronic cigarette products, launched by Donald Trump in recent weeks, would be undermined by Republican pollsters who have warned the White House that this could provoke a political reaction.