After being specifically called out in Gottlieb’s Youth Tobacco Prevention Plan, Juul Labs announced it will actively support state and federal initiatives to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products to 21 as part of an initial $30 million investment over the next three years dedicated to independent research, youth and parent education, and community engagement efforts, officials said in a statement.
The statement came a day after Gottlieb’s announcement.
In its statement, Juul officials said that in addition to its existing programs to eliminate sales of Juul-branded products to underage youth, they will work with the FDA, members of Congress, and state and local officials on the issue.
“Our company’s mission is to eliminate cigarettes and help the more than 1 billion smokers worldwide switch to a better alternative,” said Kevin Burns, CEO of Juul Labs. “We are already seeing success in our efforts to enable adult smokers to transition away from cigarettes and believe our products have the potential over the long term to contribute meaningfully to public health in the U.S. and around the world. At the same time, we are committed to deterring young people, as well as adults who do not currently smoke, from using our products.”