Juul Tried to Win Over Washington. It Didn't Work.

As anxieties surrounding the vaping crisis continue to mount, one of the leading names in the industry is finding itself in crisis as well. According to the Wall Street Journal, Juul’s attempts to win over regulators ultimately ended up further alienating them, leading the company to dig itself deeper.

In response to mounting criticism over the past year, the e-cigarette company has attempted to repaint itself as a responsible actor through revisions to its marketing strategy, getting rid of fruity flavors that held wide appeal among Juul’s teen users and instituting new checkout regulations to halt illegal sales to minors. According to WSJ, however, these efforts ultimately backfired in Washington, contributing to a negative perception that the company was creating distractions while failing to address the public health problem.

“I think Juul put the entire category at risk by pursuing top-line growth and market share without a real eye toward what was going on and who was using them,” said Scott Gottlieb, a federal Food and Drug Administration commissioner.

As Juul lobbyists and activists filled the White House, FDA officials reportedly grew increasingly frustrated with the company’s apparent attempts to bypass agency regulations. The company also came under fire for launching an anti-vaping program in schools last year, which critics argue actually promoted the behavior rather than dissuading it while providing false information to students about the product’s safety.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced plans to ban most vaping products, cutting out 80 percent of Juul’s projected U.S. sales, which were expected to exceed $2 billion this year.

Juul, for its part, remains optimistic, with company officials reportedly claiming the new regulations will not only help curb underage vaping, but will also cut out competitors and prevent the FDA from taking harsher action against the brand.

“We strongly agree with the need for aggressive category-wide action to combat youth usage,” a Juul spokesperson said, adding that the company would continue to support “reasonable access” for adult users.

Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.