FDA approves Juul's new age-verification e-cigarette system
On August 28, 2026, the FDA authorized Juul Labs to market its new JUUL2 e-cigarette device alongside tobacco- and menthol-flavored pods. The JUUL2 device features an optional age-verification system via an online app to prevent youth use. The decision comes as Juul seeks to recover from a decline in market share, having paid $3 billion in settlements over teen vaping. The FDA determined that the benefits of adult smokers switching to JUUL2 outweigh the risks of youth appeal.
FDA authorization of Juul2 products
▪The authorized JUUL2 pods contain approximately 1.5% to 1.6% nicotine concentrations
▪The U.S. Food and Drug Administration stated that the benefit to adult smokers switching to the authorized JUUL2 menthol-flavored product is sufficient to outweigh its risks, including youth appeal
▪The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the JUUL2 products through its premarket tobacco product application process, bringing the total number of authorized e-cigarette products to 48
▪On August 28, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized Juul Labs to market three new JUUL2 e-cigarette products, including a device, a tobacco-flavored pod, and a menthol-flavored pod
Age-verification technology
▪The newly authorized JUUL2 device includes an optional age-verification system designed to prevent underage use by requiring age verification via an online app before unlocking
▪Juul Labs plans to market the JUUL2 system with a portfolio of flavors beyond tobacco and menthol, aiming to build on the platform with future U.S. Food and Drug Administration filings
Juul legal settlements
▪In response to lawsuits and scrutiny over teen vaping, Juul Labs laid off hundreds of employees in recent years
▪Juul Labs has paid approximately $3 billion to settle government and private lawsuits over teenage use of its vaping products
Smoking cessation efficacy data
▪Company studies reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration indicated that between 20% and 50% of smokers who used Juul Labs products were able to stop smoking at the end of six weeks
▪The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's review of JUUL2 products found that a substantial share of adult smokers switched from combustible cigarettes to the authorized products, with the menthol pod outperforming the tobacco pod
U.S. youth vaping trends
▪Teenagers who continue to vape in the United States mostly use unauthorized disposable e-cigarettes imported from China that feature fruit and candy flavors
▪Federal figures show that teenagers in the United States have shifted away from Juul Labs products as part of a wider decline in youth vaping
Juul market position decline
▪Juul Labs is no longer the top-selling e-cigarette brand in the United States, trailing the brand Vuse, which is sold by Reynolds American
▪Juul Labs previously faced a federal marketing ban in 2022 due to the popularity of its flavored products among teenagers, which was stayed and subsequently rescinded in 2024
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