Juul Pulls Mint-Flavor Vaping Products, but Menthol Remains

(Bloomberg) -- Juul Labs Inc. will stop selling its popular mint-flavored nicotine products in the U.S., leaving only tobacco and menthol flavors, as government scrutiny of the company mounts.

The country’s largest maker of e-cigarettes said Thursday it would immediately pull mint pods from its website and stop taking orders from retailers. The move was inspired by nationwide studies released this week that found children frequently used mint vaporizers, K.C. Crosthwaite, Juul’s chief executive officer, said in a statement.

However, one of the studies Juul cited found that a category including both mint and menthol was popular among kids. A spokesman for Juul declined to comment on why it decided to continue selling that flavor.

Juul has been taking steps to satisfy critics as the Trump administration debates restrictions designed to address youth addiction to nicotine. The company has said it’s refraining from lobbying on the issue and stopped advertising. Last month, it removed fruit and dessert flavors from its online shopping site last month.

Pressure on Juul has persisted in recent days. Voters in the company’s hometown of San Francisco defeated a pro-vaping measure Tuesday, effectively ensuring that e-cigarette sales will be banned in the city next year. Earlier Thursday, a U.S. House subcommittee asked Juul to turn over documents about any sales of potentially contaminated pods.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ellen Huet in San Francisco at ehuet4@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Mark Milian at mmilian@bloomberg.net, Anne VanderMey

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.