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JUUL Labs Names New Leadership, Outlines Changes to Policy and Marketing Efforts – JUUL Newsroom
JUUL Labs announced today that K.C. Crosthwaite will be joining the company as CEO effective immediately. The announcement from co-founders James Monsees, Adam Bowen and Kevin Burns follows Burns’ decision to step down.
[...]In his new role, Crosthwaite and the entire JUUL Labs leadership team will continue a broad review of the company’s practices and policies to ensure alignment with its aim of responsible leadership within the industry. Effective immediately, JUUL Labs announced the company is:
- Suspending all broadcast, print and digital product advertising in the U.S.
- Refraining from lobbying the Administration on its draft guidance and committing to fully support and comply with the final policy when effective
Commenting on the announcement, Crosthwaite said: “I have long believed in a future where adult smokers overwhelmingly choose alternative products like JUUL. That has been this company’s mission since it was founded, and it has taken great strides in that direction. Unfortunately, today that future is at risk due to unacceptable levels of youth usage and eroding public confidence in our industry. Against that backdrop, we must strive to work with regulators, policymakers and other stakeholders, and earn the trust of the societies in which we operate. That includes inviting an open dialogue, listening to others and being responsive to their concerns.”
Burns said: “Working at JUUL Labs has been an honor and I still believe the company’s mission of eliminating combustible cigarettes is vitally important. I am very proud of my team’s efforts to lead the industry toward much needed category-wide action to tackle underage usage of these products, which are intended for adult smokers only. Since joining JUUL Labs, I have worked non-stop, helping turn a small firm into a worldwide business, so a few weeks ago I decided that now was the right time for me to step down. I am grateful to be able to confidently hand the reins to someone with K.C.’s skill set, which is well-suited to the next phase of the company’s journey.”
Further, CNBC reports Philip Morris and Altria End Merger Talks:
[Phillip Morris (PMI)] and Altria have called off discussions to reunite the tobacco giants after more than decade apart.
PMI's announcement on Wednesday helped boost its shares by more than 7% in premarket trading, bringing its market value to $111.3 billion. Shares of Altria gained nearly 2% to a market cap of around $76 billion.
[...]The companies[...]now say they will focus on jointly launching IQOS a heated tobacco product, in the United States.
"After much deliberation, the companies have agreed to focus on launching IQOS in the U.S. as part of their mutual interest to achieve a smoke-free future," PMI CEO Andre Calantzopoulos said.
The IQOS device heats tobacco to release flavorful nicotine-containing tobacco vapor but without burning the tobacco.
(Score: 2) by Rupert Pupnick on Wednesday September 25 2019, @11:00PM (3 children)
I think that the recent rush to ban flavored vapes has the potential to actually increase the amount of illness and death among the young people that use them.
Consider that we have been hearing about the potential health risks to vaping for a couple of years now without any real evidence of harm. Suddenly, in what some public health officials are calling an “outbreak”, young vapers are turning up in hospitals or dying. As far as I know, to this point, no specific manufacturer or retailer has been identified as the source of the problem. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, cops busted an illegal vape cartridge refill operation and seized almost $4M in contraband.
But instead of looking at the black market as a very likely source of contamination, we have officials throughout the country swiftly enacting various types of bans on vaping products.
What do these officials think that young vapers who want to continue vaping are going to do?
Whether or not you think vapes should be taken off or phased out of the market somehow, is this sensible public policy response to this sort of health emergency?
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 25 2019, @11:12PM (1 child)
Yes. Yes it is. The same as any other product without a validated safety history when suddenly people start having serious health issues (such as collapsing lungs) with unclear etiology. If it were a single manufacturer then you could single that out. But until their industry or the medical profession can prove that it's not something endemic to vaping then the products can be banned.
As to young vapers who want to continue vaping... is it addictive or not? If not then they can do without, and on their own heads be it if they seek out what would be unlawful (contraband) products. It is is addictive, then maybe they need to get help for it rather than be supported in it as a choice.
(Score: 2) by Rupert Pupnick on Thursday September 26 2019, @04:44PM
Well, my main objection has its basis in harm reduction. While I don't agree with your ban-and-let-the-chips-fall-where-they-may approach, I really do hope that I'm giving young vapers less credit than they deserve in making responsible choices, and that they'll be OK.
I'm all for process and scientific method in crafting public policy, but I honestly don't see that happening here. In particular, the fact that we are talking about an outbreak occurring years after the rise in popularity points very strongly to a cause that is not endemic in nature. We have other evidence that points away from companies like Juul: busts of contraband material, and the finding that most afflicted users were vaping THC, which is not offered by the suppliers being banned. Do the bans include suppliers of THC vaping products? Why not?
Frankly, I see the bans as simple political grandstanding. Officials who have a legitimate grievance with businesses that offer potentially addictive products are exploiting a health crisis to score political points. It's not reasoned public health policy. It's blunt instrument prohibitionism which history has shown has failed us so many times in the past. Let's be smarter about fixing this.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 26 2019, @09:20AM
And why not? You don't like to "vape" clear liquid without solvents that will not fuck up your lungs?? You can always add some gasoline to it if you want the extra kick