Philip DeFranco’s Take on the FDA’s Ban on Flavors and JUUL
Philip DeFranco runs a news channel on YouTube, and around the time JUUL was removing flavors from its lineup, he published a segment on the story. We shared it because DeFranco offered a balanced perspective on the FDA’s concern over underage vaping.
Watch the video on the ZampleBox YouTube channel
What was happening
In 2018 and 2019, JUUL was the best-known pod system in the country, and it landed at the center of the debate over flavored vapes and youth use. Under pressure from the FDA, the company pulled its flavored pods in stages, first from store shelves and later from its lineup altogether, leaving tobacco and menthol.
The pressure did not stop with one company. In early 2020, the FDA announced it would prioritize enforcement against flavored cartridge-based products other than tobacco and menthol. Read more in our post on the 2020 pod flavor policy, and see The Truth About Vaping Deaths and the Flavor Ban for the state flavor bans of 2019.
DeFranco’s take
What we appreciated most was the balance. DeFranco took the FDA’s concern seriously while also covering the other side of the debate: the argument that vaping could help adults who smoke move away from cigarettes. There was plenty of good information and discussion packed into one segment.
That argument is still debated. Nicotine is addictive, no vaping product is FDA-approved as a quit-smoking aid, and public-health bodies disagree on the details. Adults who smoke and are considering switching should talk to a doctor.
Where things stand now
Since then, 21 has become the federal minimum age for all tobacco and vaping products (federal law since December 2019), and every vaping product needs FDA premarket authorization, with many still under review. Flavor rules vary by state and city and change often, so check the rules where you live, and visit fda.gov and cdc.gov for current guidance.
WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical. For adults 21+ only.