The Federal Trade Commission is reportedly investigating Juul Labs, the e-cigarette startup, over its marketing practices, reported The Wall Street Journal.
The government agency is particularly interested in whether Juul used deceptive marketing that targeted minors. It’s also looking into Juul’s hiring of influencers to sell its products. The FTC might seek monetary damages.
In a statement to the Journal, Juul said it used influencers in a “small, short-lived pilot that ended last year. The company paid less than $10,000 to fewer than 10 adults over the age of 30 who were current or former smokers, the spokesperson told the paper.
In an interview today, Juul Labs CEO Kevin Burns warned nonsmokers to never use its company’s products. Don’t vape, Burns said in an interview on CBS This Morning. Don’t use Juul. He went on to say the product isn’t designed for people who don’t already have a preexisting relationship with nicotine.
The US Surgeon General declared youth vaping an epidemic in 2018 and specifically noted the popularity of Juul in his advisory.
