Juul Says It Will Quit Social Media--Update

By Jennifer Maloney

E-cigarette startup Juul Labs Inc. said it is shutting down its Facebook and Instagram accounts and curbing its use of other social media in the U.S., part of the company's response to the Food and Drug Administration's call for changes to curb underage e-cigarette use.

Sales of Juul's vaporizers and flavored nicotine liquids have surged over the past year, fueled in part by the product's popularity among teenagers and children. Its rapid growth was helped by the San Francisco company's use of social media to advertise its products as well as user-generated posts that glamorized Juul.

"There is no question that this user-generated social media content is linked to the appeal of vaping to underage users," Juul Labs CEO Kevin Burns wrote in a blog post Tuesday.

When Juul launched in 2015, the startup was able to use marketing practices, including social media and billboard ads, that are restricted for big tobacco companies. Advertising on social media and other platforms pitched Juul as a cool lifestyle accessory with images of people in their 20s and 30s.

In addition to curbing its social media activity, Juul plans to stop selling nicotine liquids with flavors like mango, fruit and creme at bricks-and-mortar stores. It will continue to sell all its products on its website, which the company says has age-verification technology. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported on Juul's retail shift.

The moves come as the FDA prepares to announce sharp restrictions on the sale of such products, part of its effort to combat use of e-cigarettes by teens and children. The new rules would be effective immediately.

Write to Jennifer Maloney at jennifer.maloney@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 13, 2018 14:26 ET (19:26 GMT)

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