Juul’s CEO told nonsmokers, “Don’t vape. Don’t use Juul.” Kevin Burns, CEO of Juul, also acknowledged that the long-term effects of vaping are unknown. (Business Insider) The company also said on Thursday that it will offer incentives to retailers that install an electronic age-verification system. (Wall Street Journal)
In other Juul news, the Federal Trade Commission has started a probe into the company’s marketing practices. FTC investigators are looking at whether Juul engaged in deceptive marketing, including by targeting minors or using influencers. Juul has said that it never targeted teens, but changed its marketing strategy by ending social media ads and not using influencers. (Wall Street Journal)
The World Health Organization said measles cases have increased three-fold in Europe this year. Nearly 90,000 people got measles in Europe in the first half of 2019, according to the report. WHO leaders blamed vaccine misinformation as a contributor. (Reuters)
SC Johnson has threatened to sue Oklahoma’s attorney general for conflating its slogan with that of Johnson & Johnson. Attorney General Mike Hunter has repeatedly referenced the slogan “a family company” when talking about J&J, but that slogan belongs to the similarly named, but unrelated, SC Johnson. The CEO of SC Johnson has said the misuse of the slogan could lead people to believe that his company was involved with the Oklahoma opioid lawsuit. (CNBC)
Anti-smoking advocates have criticized the Food and Drug Administration’s slow progress on anti-smoking measures because some measures of a law signed 10 years ago have not been implemented. The FDA has been slowed by lawsuits, lobbying and government bureaucracy, experts said. (Associated Press)
