Vaping giant Juul turns off marketing

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Vaping products confiscated from high school students in Marshfield, Mass. Associated Press/Photo by Steven Senne (file)

Juul is shutting down broadcast, print, and digital advertising, as well as lobbying efforts in Washington. The electronic cigarette maker said Wednesday a senior executive from tobacco giant Altria, which owns a 35 percent stake in Juul, would replace CEO Kevin Burns. Altria and Phillip Morris International called off discussions of a merger amid Juul’s upheaval.

Why is Juul in so much trouble? New CEO K.C. Crosthwaite cited “unacceptable levels of youth usage and eroding public confidence in our industry.” Federal and state government officials have put pressure on the company to do something about an outbreak of illnesses potentially linked to its products, especially the flavored vaping liquids popular with teens. The Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday announced a public health emergency and ordered a four-month ban on vaping product sales in the state. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump announced plans to ban all e-cigarette flavors except tobacco.

Dig deeper: Read Kiley Crossland’s report in Relations on the health risks associated with teen vaping.

Rachel Lynn Aldrich

Rachel is a former assistant editor for WORLD Digital. She is a Patrick Henry College and World Journalism Institute graduate. Rachel resides with her husband in Wheaton, Ill.