FDA says Juul misled public in claims that vaping is safer than smoking
/ CBS/AP
Federal health authorities say vaping giant Juul Labs illegally pitched its electronic cigarettes as a safer alternative to smoking, including in a presentation at schools.
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday issued a stern warning letter to the company, flagging claims by Juul including that its products are "much safer than cigarettes."
"Regardless of where products like e-cigarettes fall on the continuum of tobacco product risk, the law is clear that, before marketing tobacco products for reduced risk, companies must demonstrate with scientific evidence that their specific product does in fact pose less risk or is less harmful," said Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless in a statement. "JuuL has ignored the law, and very concerningly, has made some of these statements in school to our nation's youth."
Trending News
The FDA has been investigating Juul for months but had not previously warned the company. Juul, which has three-quarters of the vaping market, has also been the target of lawsuits over allegations that it targeted teens with deceptive marketing practices.
The FDA letter highlights an incident that two New York high school students recounted during a congressional hearing in July. The teens testified that a Juul representative was invited to address the school on addiction issues. During the presentation, the representative told students the company's product was "totally safe."
In marketing materials, Juul has also referred to its products as "99% safer than cigarettes, "much safer" than cigarettes, "totally safe" and "a safer alternative than smoking cigarettes," according to the FDA letter.
Juul said it discontinued its school programs last September. Responding Monday to the FDA's letter, Juul said in a statement that "We are reviewing the letters and will fully cooperate."
Vaping has recently been linked to at least five deaths and 450 illnesses nationwide, Prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to warn people "to consider not vaping pending further investigation."
Last week, Michigan became the first state to ban sales of flavored e-cigarettes. San Francisco has also banned sales of e-cigarettes that are not FDA approved.
First published on September 9, 2019 / 1:05 PM
© 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Law against "no-deal" Brexit gets royal rubber stamp
Legislation means Boris Johnson cannot take U.K. out of the EU without a deal on the October 31 deadline unless Parliament gives consent
updated 40M ago 
The bloody road to U.S. peace talks with the Taliban
President Trump announced Saturday he had canceled secret Camp David meetings with the Afghan president and representatives of the Taliban
1H ago 
Voices from Hong Kong: Inside a Chinese city's fight for democracy
CBS News asks five people, including a member of the Hong Kong government, for their take on the crisis in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory
1H ago 
Russian opposition barred from Moscow vote, but still sees "victory"
Vladimir Putin's foes were barred from running for Moscow City Council, sparking huge protests, but even without their own candidates they saw a "fantastic result"
2H ago 
Dorian evacuees told to get off ferry in Bahamas if they don't have U.S. visas
The death toll has risen to 45, as officials continue to comb through miles of debris, trying to account for hundreds of missing
4H ago 
FDA shoots down Juul claims that vaping is safer than smoking
Federal watchdog says vaping company hasn't proven that its products are less harmful than cigarettes
5M ago 
A shaken mosque welcomes Beto O'Rourke in New Hampshire
"Why should we have to be cornered? Why should we have to feel guilty, like we have to prove we are innocent? America is bigger than that"
34M ago 
NOAA scientist rips "political" backing of Trump's Dorian claims
Craig McLean, NOAA's acting chief scientist, wrote in an email to colleagues that called the agency's response "political."
44M ago 
Couple arrested after spending mistaken $120,000 deposit
Pair allegedly spent most of the money on items such as a SUV, four-wheelers, a camper and bills
47M ago 
Border enforcement chief holds briefing on migrant apprehensions
Top official at Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is expected to discuss a third consecutive monthly drop in apprehensions of migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border
1H ago
A shaken mosque welcomes Beto O'Rourke in New Hampshire
"Why should we have to be cornered? Why should we have to feel guilty, like we have to prove we are innocent? America is bigger than that"
34M ago
NOAA scientist rips "political" backing of Trump's Dorian claims
Craig McLean, NOAA's acting chief scientist, wrote in an email to colleagues that called the agency's response "political."
44M ago
Border enforcement chief holds briefing on migrant apprehensions
Top official at Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is expected to discuss a third consecutive monthly drop in apprehensions of migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border
1H ago 
CBS News Eye on Trends: The latest from the CBS News Election & Survey Unit
A recap of latest polls and data-driven studies from the CBS News Election & Survey Unit
1H ago 
Trump honors Dayton and El Paso responders
The president bestowed medals on the police officers who responded to the Dayton shooting
updated 53M ago 
Pierce Brosnan wants to see a woman play James Bond
"I think we've watched the guys do it for the last 40 years, get out of the way, guys, and put a woman up there," he said
1M ago 
9-year-old double-amputee a star at New York Fashion Week
Born with a rare condition that required both of her legs to be amputated, Daisy-May Demetre made history on the Lulu et Gigi catwalk
53M ago 
Trump, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen tangle on Twitter
President takes aim at "boring" Legend and his "filthy mouthed wife" and they fire back when Trump says he didn't get enough credit from Legend for signing criminal justice reform bill
2H ago 
Donny and Marie Osmond, going solo
After 11 years as a top draw in Las Vegas, the brother-and-sister duo are facing new challenges on their own, from Donny's solo album to Marie taking a seat on "The Talk"
Sep 8 
Donny and Marie Osmond's next act
Donny and Marie Osmond have been in show business almost as long as they've been brother and sister, as solo performers and as headliners of the popular "Donnie & Marie" TV show in the 1970s. For the past 11 years they have been a top draw in Las Vegas. But after almost 1,700 performances, they've decided to bring the curtain down on themselves this November. Lee Cowan talks with them about their new challenges ahead, from Marie taking a seat at "The Talk," to Donny's new solo album.
19H ago 09:33 
Lost AirPods cost consumers more than half a billion dollars annually
Now hear this: Apple's AirPod sales could exceed $10 billion this year, with 5% to 7% of sales to replace lost ear buds
Sep 6 
Facebook leaked 400 million users' phone numbers, report says
Swipe left? TechCrunch says more than 400 million unique IDs and phone numbers of Facebook users exposed on a server
Sep 5 
Lyft sued over alleged sexual assaults by drivers
Lawsuit claims Lyft mishandled complaints against drivers and allowed them to continue working after alleged assaults
Sep 5 
Feds meet tech firms at Facebook HQ to discuss election security
"Attendees talked about how industry and government could improve how we share information and coordinate our response to better detect and deter threats"
Sep 5 
Carmakers to add alerts to prevent child heatstroke deaths
Automakers agree to install technology by 2025 to remind people to retrieve children from a vehicle's back seat
Sep 4 
Company pledges to clean up oil from facility damaged by Dorian
Norwegian-based Equinor says it was unclear how big the spill was at its oil terminal on Grand Bahama
Sep 8 
Nature up close: Beavers, the master engineers
A keystone species for animals and plants, beavers are crafty builders who continually reshape parts of Wyoming's Snake River
Sep 7 
New species of dinosaur discovered in Japan
The discovery is the largest dinosaur skeleton ever found in the country
Sep 6 
Indian spacecraft apparently crashes in moon landing attempt
India seeks to join the U.S., Russia and China as the only countries to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon
Sep 6 
Is climate change making hurricanes more powerful?
"Almost all the research shows that in the future, hurricanes are likely to get more intense," meteorologist Jeff Berardelli says
Sep 4
FDA shoots down Juul claims that vaping is safer than smoking
Federal watchdog says vaping company hasn't proven that its products are less harmful than cigarettes
5M ago 
9 students hospitalized after eating "THC-laced" candy
Cooper City, Florida charter school says a student brought it in "inadvertently" and shared it with others
7H ago 
MLB and union to discuss opioid testing after Tyler Skaggs death
The league and players' association will discuss the possibility of more widespread testing for opioids following the death of Skaggs
Sep 7 
Three more deaths and at least 450 illnesses linked to vaping
U.S. health officials said they've identified hundreds of possible cases in 33 states
Sep 6 
Food giants like Tyson and Kellogg's want bite of fake-meat market
Tyson buys into plant-based shrimp, a Kellogg's unit sells "Incogmeato" and even the maker of Spam is touting fake meat
Sep 6
FDA shoots down Juul claims that vaping is safer than smoking
Federal watchdog says vaping company hasn't proven that its products are less harmful than cigarettes
5M ago 
Manufacturing is in a recession. What's it mean for the U.S.?
Manufacturers are hurting for a number of reasons — including the president's trade war — and that's raising broader worries
Sep 6
Couple arrested after spending mistaken $120,000 deposit
Pair allegedly spent most of the money on items such as a SUV, four-wheelers, a camper and bills
47M ago 
Google targeted by U.S. states in new antitrust investigation
Texas and other states are expected to announce a new probe into whether the tech giant is stomping rivals
3H ago 
Amazon to hire 30,000 workers at job fairs in 6 cities
The jobs range from $100,000-plus jobs for engineers to warehouse workers earning at least $15 an hour
1H ago
9 students hospitalized after eating "THC-laced" candy
Cooper City, Florida charter school says a student brought it in "inadvertently" and shared it with others
7H ago 
America's deadliest mass shootings
These are the deadliest mass shootings in American history
Aug 5 40 photos 
Man killed after live-streaming police chase in Minnesota
The chase started late Saturday night in Edina and ended in Richfield with officers shooting the man, Brian J. Quinones, who had streamed himself live on Facebook during the chase
20H ago 
Odessa shooting survivor: Congress, do something
Shauna Saxton, a grandmother who looked the gunman in the eyes and escaped gunfire during the mass shooting in Texas last week in which seven people were murdered, says doing nothing in the wake of tragic events such as this will mean more innocent lives lost.
19H ago 02:48 
Did a secret lead to a Pennsylvania teacher's murder?
When a popular teacher was gunned down in her parents' driveway on Mother's Day 2018, a quiet Pennsylvania city was left scrambling for answers — who would want the young woman dead? As it turns out, there might be quite a few people.
Sep 7 
Space
India fails to land on the moon
India hoped to become the fourth nation to soft-land on the moon with their Chandrayaan-2 space mission. But their space agency, ISRO, lost communication with their lander just before the mission was complete. CBS News Space Consultant Bill Harwood joined CBSN to discuss the apparent failure.
Sep 7 05:43
Indian spacecraft apparently crashes in moon landing attempt
India seeks to join the U.S., Russia and China as the only countries to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon
Sep 6 
Trump launches U.S. Space Command
President Trump held a Rose Garden event to commemorate the establishment of the U.S. Space Command Thursday, as the president pushes for the creation of his sixth branch of the military, the Space Force. CBS News' Bofta Yimam reports.
Aug 29 01:53 
Kennedy Space Center bracing for Hurricane Dorian
NASA is hauling a massive launch gantry off the launch pad to avoid the threat of hurricane winds
Aug 29 
Trump establishes U.S. Space Command
President Trump marked the establishment of the U.S. Space Command in the Rose Garden, and unveiled its flag for the first time during a ceremony Thursday afternoon.
Aug 29 03:49 
Photos: Hurricane Dorian's devastation
"Everything's gone! Everything!" one woman said after Dorian slammed into the Bahamas
Sep 6 42 photos 
The most valuable NFL teams in 2019, ranked
Thanks to some pricey TV deals, a relocation, and brand-new stadiums, the NFL has never been more valuable.
Sep 5 40 photos 
Highest-paid NFL players in 2019, ranked
These are the NFL superstars who earn the most cash this season
Aug 29 50 photos 
Ashley Fallis death: A family's fight for justice
Was the Colorado mother's 2012 death a suicide, as her husband maintains, or was it murder, as her parents insist?
Aug 24 15 photos 
World's most polluted cities
Air pollution can cause serious health problems for people who are exposed to it, even for just a few minutes
Aug 23 51 photos 
Popular
Drinking culture and American kids
On America's college campuses, there are epidemics we talk about and those we don't. When sexual assaults or fraternity hazing deaths make headlines, court cases follow and new rules are enacted, but less attention is paid to an underlying issue – binge drinking culture. CBSN Originals explores how drinking to excess is not only considered normal, but cool, and how for many young people "blacking out" is less a rarity than an every weekend occurrence – with grave consequences.
Sep 5 23:34 
Dire conditions in Bahamas after Dorian
It's been over a week since Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas as a Category 5 storm, and conditions are still dire. CBS News correspondent Nikki Battiste reports from the Abaco Islands, which were hit especially hard.
updated 16M ago 01:26 
Coast Guard makes contact with missing crew
The U.S. Coast Guard says they have made contact with four crew members missing from an overturned cargo ship off Georgia's coast. The ship capsized with 24 people on board. Meg Oliver joined CBSN with the latest.
updated 7M ago 03:25 
Stars of new comedy "Bob Hearts Abishola"
Folake Olowofoyeku and Billy Gardell joined CBS News to discuss their new CBS show, "Bob Heart Abishola." The groundbreaking romantic comedy showcases the first Nigerian family on national television.
updated 7M ago 08:27 
House expected to expand impeachment inquiry
Congress is back on Capitol Hill today, and Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee are expected to vote soon on expanding their impeachment inquiry into President Trump. CBS News White House correspondent Paula Reid joined CBSN from the White House with the latest on that and more Washington headlines.
1H ago 06:34
