Study: Removal of Juul Flavors Had Little Effect on Overall Sales

A recent study published by the American Cancer Society (ACS) in the American Journal of Public Health revealed that Juul’s removal of its flavored vapor products from retail stores in October 2018 had “little to no long-term effect on overall sales, with users quickly switching to other flavors or different brands that were still selling the ‘sweet’ flavors.”

The products that Juul pulled from stores in 2018 were e-cigarettes flavored as mango, fruit medley, cucumber and creme brulee.

The study used retail sales data from Nielsen. “Data from this ACS study also show how dramatically the introduction of Juul affected patterns of youth e-cigarette use and led to the highest levels of youth tobacco use in nearly 20 years,” said Robin Koval, president and CEO of Truth Initiative.

“Until November 2017, tobacco was still the most preferred e-cigarette flavor. The introduction of flavored, high nicotine, highly addictive products produced a huge growth in youth usage and consumption of flavored products.”

After Juul discontinued selling its flavored products in retail stores, sales of menthol-flavored/mint-flavored products doubled, with the tobacco-flavored products also experiencing a significant spike in popularity.

“The current national e-cigarette flavor guidance, adopted in January 2020, includes a large and dangerous loophole that keeps menthol and other youth-appealing e-cigarette flavors on the market,” Koval added. “It clearly favors the very industry that has ensnared a new generation to become tobacco users, the highest number in nearly 20 years.”