JUUL Labs to stop making flavored vaping products

JUUL Labs Inc. will stop producing and selling flavored vaping products after a recently signed law banned their production while imposing higher taxes on alcohol and electronic cigarettes.

On Wednesday last week, President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed Republic Act (RA) No. 11467, which increases excise taxes on alcoholic products and e-cigarettes, including vapor products, while limiting their sale to those at least 21 years old.

The measure also prohibits the manufacturing, importation, sale, distribution and advertising of flavorings in the vapor products.

“In accordance with RA 11467, JUUL Labs Philippines will no longer make Mango, Creme and Mint JUULpods available for purchase at any JUUL Labs-owned kiosks nor JUUL.ph website and will stop fulfilling retail orders for these flavors from any of its retail partners. JUUL Labs and its partners will continue selling the Virginia Tobacco flavor to those verified as over the age of 21,” the company said in a statement.

“JUUL Labs is supportive of measures that ensure vaping products reach only the adult smokers for whom they are intended and are not used by non-nicotine users, especially those who are underage,” it added.

Under the law, vapor products with salt nicotine will be imposed an excise tax of P37 per milliliter this year, which will be gradually increased until it reaches P52 in 2023. Vapor products with conventional nicotine will be taxed P45 per 10 milliliter in 2020, and increased by P5 annually until it reaches P60 in 2023.— Beatrice M. Laforga