Pediatrician on FDA’s Juul decision, Arizona cannabis ad rules

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided Juul Labs can continue to sell its e-cigarettes and refill cartridges. The authorization, first reported by “The Wall Street Journal,” marks the long-awaited conclusion to a multiyear FDA review that placed the products in regulatory limbo. In 2022, the FDA ordered Juul to stop selling its e-cigarettes, citing a lack of evidence needed to assess their potential health risks.

An FDA spokesperson said the authorization does not mean the products are safe or “FDA approved;” rather, Juul provided evidence demonstrating that its e-cigarettes met the legal standard for marketing new tobacco products in the U.S.

At the same time, Arizona passed a youth advertising cannabis bill, HB 2179. Signed by Governor Katie Hobbs already, it will prohibit the use of cartoons on billboards and social media posts as well as prohibit advertisements near schools or on public transportation.

Pediatrician Dr. Gary Kirkilas joined “Arizona Horizon” to comment on both pieces of news.

Dr. Kirkilas gave some initial insight into how e-cigarettes compare to traditional cigarettes. Although the nicotine in e-cigarettes have the same addictive properties of a traditional cigarette, the liquid nicotine in e-cigarettes is much more potent.

“An average cartridge, you have enough nicotine that would be equivalent to a pack of cigarettes. So you have one cartridge equaling one pack of cigarettes,” Dr. Kirkilas said

Dr. Kirkilas shared why Juul Labs was initially investigated a decade ago and why it was especially troubling for young people.

“When they came out they said this would be a great way for people who are using traditional cigarettes to get off of them. And so, but what happened in 2015 is you look at all of the marketing that they did and it was definitely targeting young adults. So all the models that they used in their advertisements were 21, 22-year-olds, not people who have ever possibly used tobacco again. So they’re essentially creating new customers,” Dr. Kirkilas said.

Juul Labs has received the approval to begin their sales again because the FDA has found that there is a “net benefit”, according to Dr. Kirkilas. However, he also pointed out that people at the FDA “perfectly know youth are getting their hands on this”.