Juul asks FDA to approve its new high-tech vape that has a PARENTAL LOCK – after company was accused of starting a childhood ‘vapedemic’

Juul, the e-cigarette company drowning in bad press and litigation over claims it hooked kids on vapes, is proposing a high-tech new device that can electronically verify a user’s age. 

In an effort to rebrand itself, the company submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, asking for the agency to approve its new ‘next-generation vapor platform’. 

Juul Chief Product Officer Kirk Phelps said the innovative technology will combat underage use and improve adult-smoker switching from traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes. 

‘With our next-generation platform, we have designed a technological solution for two public-health problems: improving adult-smoker switching from combustible cigarettes and restricting underage access to vapor products’, Phelps said. 

Juul said its new device will connect to a web or smartphone application that uses third-party verification to confirm users of its products are adults. It will also include a feature that can lock its devices, preventing someone from using the device.

Juul’s new technology will connect to a web or smartphone application that uses third-party verification to confirm  users of its products are adults

The company uses a third-party verification system that processes biometric information to verify a person’s age and requires a government-issued photo ID confirming age when users sign up on the website or app. 

Juul has been embroiled in litigation and controversary for years as people accuse the company of marketing their products to kids and over claims their products cause serious health issues. 

To date, the company has settled with 47 states and territories and paid out more than $1 billion.

The company submitted the application while it awaits a decision from the FDA on whether its current vape devices are allowed to remain on shelves. 

Last year, the FDA rejected an application from Juul that attempted to circumvent the ban on flavored nicotine products. However, the FDA’s ban on Juul products, which risked having its products pulled from shelves and nearly bankrupted the company, was temporarily halted by a federal appeals court. 

The company said its submission to the FDA includes ‘comprehensive science and evidence’ for the device and new tobacco-flavored pods, as well as information on novel, data-driven technologies to restrict underage access. 

The proposed technology was initially launched in 2021 in the United Kingdom as the Juul2 System. Marketed as a new vapor platform, Juul says it improves the vaping experience for adult smokers and utilizes unique a Pod ID chip to authenticate its products in an effort to prevent people from using illicit products in its devices. 

While Juul does not produce or sell pods that contain illicit substances, such as THC, the psychoactive element in marijuana that produces a high, other entities have taken advantage of the Juul craze by producing off-brand Juul-compatible pods that allow for the use of illicit substances.  

The company submitted the application for the new technology while it awaits a decision from the FDA on whether its current vape devices are allowed to remain on shelves 

Additional features of the next-generation product proposed in the U.S. include a Bluetooth-enabled device with a larger, longer-lasting battery and a “smart light system” that relays battery life and vaping liquid to a user. 

An updated and tamper-resistant pod that will enable an improved aerosol delivery and an innovative heating element will improve product performance and temperature control. 

Joe Murillo, Juul’s chief regulatory officer, said the technology ‘advances public-health objectives’.

‘Our next-generation vapor platform PMTA is built on new technology that advances public-health objectives and compelling science that demonstrates a clear public-health benefit, as required to secure a marketing authorization’, Murillo said.

‘We look forward to engaging with FDA throughout the review process while we pursue this important harm-reduction opportunity’.