Sep 13, 2019

Juul expands its presence in China

Photo: Eva Hambach/AFP/Getty Images

At the same time as Juul is facing a regulatory crackdown and damaging headlines in America, it's also entering the Chinese market — the world's largest market of smokers, Reuters reports.

The big picture: While China has more than 300 million smokers, it also already has several Juul competitors. The government has also launched anti-smoking campaigns and has said that China's e-cigarette laws will eventually resemble Europe's. It has also launched its products in South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Go deeper: Fear and vaping in our schools

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Rashaan Ayesh

Juul products pulled in China

Less than a week after debuting in China, all of Juul's products have been pulled from some of the country's biggest online retailers with no explanation, Bloomberg reports.

The big picture: "International growth is important for Juul, especially as vaping comes under increasing scrutiny in the U.S.," even as Big Tobacco companies invest billions, Bloomberg writes. A successful expansion into China could have helped launch Juul's global presence, since it's the world's largest market of smokers.

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Keep ReadingSep 18, 2019

Ursula Perano

Nicotine addictions increasingly driving vape users back to cigarettes

Photo: Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images

A new Los Angeles Times report details a painfully ironic contradiction: Vape users turning to cigarettes to cope with their nicotine addictions, challenging vapes' original purpose of helping cigarette users quit smoking altogether.

The big picture: As cigarette use has declined, e-cigarettes and vaping are seeing a sharp increase in popularity — but not without pushback. Just last week, Juul, a vaping technology, faced backlash from lawmakers for being advertised as less harmful than cigarettes without approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

Go deeperSep 16, 2019

Dan Primack

Altria's Juul investment is in trouble

Illustration:Aïda Amer/Axios

Altria's $12.8 billion investment for a 35% stake in Juul is at risk of becoming one of the worst corporate investments of all time.

The big picture: Sometimes it's darkest before the light, but right now it looks like Altria got smoked.

Go deeperSep 19, 2019