Juul and the Vaping Industry: A Troubling Connection Between Corporate Influence and Youth Vaping

Newly released documents related to Juul Labs, a major player in the vaping industry, provide unprecedented insight into the methods corporations utilize to influence government policies. These documents reveal the extensive efforts Juul has made to promote its interests in Washington, including lobbying, political donations, and attempts to prevent action against the company. This glimpse into Juul's corporate practices provides a deeper understanding of the relationship between corporations and the government.

The Influence of Corporate Interests

According to a report from Stat News, a trove of internal emails and documents from Juul Labs were released, revealing the company's extensive efforts to establish its presence in Washington. This included lobbying, political donations, and attempts to prevent regulatory action against the company. The documents also revealed Juul's use of 'dark money' groups to funnel large donations to political candidates, and the company's efforts to raise the age for purchasing tobacco products to 21. Juul's CEO and board members coordinated donations to lawmakers, and the company also made traditional donations to individual candidates and their political action committees.

The Impact on Public Health Policies

As part of a national settlement, Juul Labs has been ordered to pay over 8 million to the state of Nebraska. This settlement also requires Juul to refrain from marketing its products to youths. However, critics argue that the vaping epidemic among children invalidates Juul's response to the FDA ban on its vapes. Vaping is popular among teens, with a third reporting seeing classmates vaping in school a few times a week or daily. The rise of e-cigarettes, vaporizers, and decriminalized marijuana have begun to undermine traditional anti-smoking arguments.

The Role of Social Media

A study from the University of York found that the popularity of vaping among young users is fuelled by viewing e-cigarette advertisements and content on social media. Marketing strategies for e-cigarettes have resulted in more users and intentions to use the products among young people. Sponsorship by celebrities and social media influencers, as well as a focus on the appeal of e-liquids, has been observed. The UK Government has taken measures to ban disposable vapes and the ways they are marketed to children in shops, but these do not include targeting social media campaigns.

Education and Regulation

The Massachusetts Smoke-Free Workplace Law includes e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery products. The official Massachusetts government website provides guidance to school administrators on educating staff and parents about vaping, collecting data on tobacco use, and accessing resources for quitting tobacco. It encourages the establishment of chapters of The 84 Movement and provides information about regional Tobacco-Free Community Partnerships.

The Global Perspective

The 10th Conference of Parties (COP10) of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recently took place in Panama City. The tobacco, vape, and nicotine industries are heavily involved in lobbying and promoting electronic smoking devices (ESDs) at such occasions. The WHO has concluded that ESDs are addictive and that all forms of tobacco and nicotine use are dangerous. The Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance has voiced concern about the marketing tactics of the industry contributing to the appeal of ESDs to the young, leading to increased initiation and experimentation among young people.

As these recent revelations show, there is a pressing need for more robust regulation and transparency in the vaping industry, particularly in terms of the influence corporations like Juul can wield over government policy and public health. It's clear that we need to take further action to protect young people from the harmful effects of vaping.