WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Monday it has ordered five e-cigarette companies including JUUL Labs and NJOY to turn over sales and advertising data.
The regulatory agency said it sent orders to JUUL Labs, Inc; R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company; Fontem US, LLC; Logic Technology Development LLC; and NJOY, LLC seeking information from 2019 and 2020 including annual data on sales and giveaways of e-cigarettes and characteristics of their e-cigarette products such as flavors.
The companies could not be immediately reached for comment.
The FTC issued prior orders in 2019 seeking information from earlier years as part of its ongoing study of the U.S. e-cigarette market. The consumer protection agency is trying better understand the rapidly growing market, similar to studies it has done in the on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products.
E-cigarettes are handheld electronic devices that vaporize a fluid typically including nicotine and a flavor component. They have grabbed market share away from traditional cigarettes, and are available in different flavors.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Will Dunham)