Cristina MutchlerThe FDA is making good on its pledge to investigate e-cigarette makers it believes market to young people.
Last week, the agency conducted a surprise inspection at Juul's San Francisco headquarters, seizing thousands of pages of documents relating to the company's sales and marketing practices. Juul also turned over similar documents to the FDA in April.
According to a new estimate, Juul e-cigarette sales increased to more than 16.2 million in 2017.
In a statement, Juul's CEO said it's committed to preventing underage use of vaping products, and called the FDA's visit a "constructive and transparent dialogue."
While the timing of the inspection might've been a surprise, the FDA said in September it'd be holding "boots on the ground inspections" for five e-cigarette manufacturers. That's when it announced a "historic" crackdown on those companies, giving them 60 days to come up with a plan to curb teen usage.
The teen vaping trend might prompt the FDA to ban online e-cigarette sales. It's also considering tightening restrictions on flavored e-cigarette products, which health experts say appeal to young people.
Recent data shows more than two million middle and high school students reported vaping in 2017.
