Awareness and Perceptions of US Food and Drug Administration's JUUL Marketing Denial Order: A National Study of US Adolescents

Abstract

Introduction: We examined awareness and perceptions of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) JUUL marketing denial order (MDO) that occurred in June 2022 among a nationally representative sample of US adolescents.

Aims and methods: Data were collected in August 2022 via an online survey (n = 1603). Adolescents were asked whether they had heard about the JUUL MDO, and, if yes, where they heard the news. Those who had heard were asked about the MDO's impact on their harm beliefs about JUUL and vape products in general. We examined correlates of awareness of the MDO and of increased JUUL and vape harm perceptions.

Results: Twenty-seven percent of adolescents had heard about the MDO. Older adolescents (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.13) and LGBTQ+ adolescents (aOR = 2.05) had significantly higher odds of having heard the news, while those who identified as Black or African American had significantly lower odds of having heard (aOR = 0.56). Most participants who were aware of the MDO indicated that they had higher harm perceptions about JUUL itself (77.9%) and vapes in general (79.6%). Youths susceptible to vaping and current users were less likely to report increased harm perceptions about JUUL (B = -0.34 and -0.46, respectively) and vapes in general (B = -0.27 and -0.43) compared with youth not susceptible to vaping.

Conclusions: The results of this nationally representative survey demonstrate that over one-quarter of US youth heard about the JUUL MDO and the vast majority of those indicated increased harm perceptions about vapes. Large-scale news events about vaping can reach youth audiences and may impact what youth think about the harms of vaping.

Implications: Analysis of a nationally representative survey of adolescents aged 13-17 revealed that more than 25% had heard about the marketing denial order issued to JUUL Labs by the FDA in June of 2022. We also found that the vast majority of adolescents reported increased JUUL and vape harm perceptions in response to hearing about the MDO. This indicates that news coverage about vaping-including coverage of regulatory actions-can reach and potentially impact adolescents. It is therefore important to monitor news coverage about vaping, how it is framed and discussed across media platforms, and its reach among priority populations.