{"id":4273,"date":"2019-08-23T20:08:53","date_gmt":"2019-08-23T20:08:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=4273"},"modified":"2020-05-14T21:42:57","modified_gmt":"2020-05-14T21:42:57","slug":"juuls-owner-is-so-awfully-sorry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=4273","title":{"rendered":"Juul’s owner is so awfully sorry"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Juul CEO Kevin Burns<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This happened a while ago, but I’m just now getting to it. I really got a kick out of it. And it pissed me off.<\/p>\n

The owner of Juul actually apologized for the role his company played in helping to popularize e-cig use by teenagers.<\/p>\n

It totally came off like an old Monty Python bit … “I’m so sorry, so awfully sorry I murdered all those people …\u00a0 Gosh, I’m sorry …”<\/p>\n

Yeah, he’s sorry he’s a billionaire, too, I’m sure.<\/p>\n

From a USA today article:<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cFirst of all, I\u2019d tell them that I\u2019m sorry that their child\u2019s using the product,\u201d said Kevin Burns, who joined Juul in late 2017. \u201cIt\u2019s not intended for them. I hope there was nothing that we did that made it appealing to them. As a parent of a 16-year-old, I\u2019m sorry for them, and I have empathy for them, in terms of what the challenges they\u2019re going through.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Oh, baloney, Kevin Burns, especially his bullshit about “I hope there was nothing that we did that made it appealing to them.”<\/p>\n

\"\"
Teen girl using a Juul<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Juul was one of the vaping companies that most aggressively and successfully used social media to advertise its products, including Instragram “influencers.” Jull very quickly came to dominate the e-cig industry, gaining control of over 70 percent of the industry. This guy Burns is so full of it. He apologized because he got called to testify before congress and because lawsuits are piling up against Juul over addicting kids to nicotine (it turns out Juul pods are considerably more powerful with higher amounts of nicotine than other e-cig companies). This really takes the cake as one of the phoniest “apologies” I’ve ever seen. The L.A. Times even wrote an op-ed piece<\/a> called, “Let’s call it a Juuling epidemic.”<\/p>\n

From the USA Today article:<\/a><\/p>\n

Yet Juul\u2019s critics point to the company\u2019s initial advertising campaign, which featured bright colors and young looking models, as evidence that Juul fueled the surge in teen vaping. Co-founder Adam Bowen said in retrospect the ads were \u201cinappropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we launched Juul, we had a campaign that was arguably too kind of lifestyle-oriented, too flashy,\u201d he said. \u201cIt lasted less than six months. It was in the early days of the product introduction. We think it had no impact on sales.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Campaign for Smokefree Kids thought the same of Burns’ apology as I did.<\/p>\n

From their press release:<\/a><\/p>\n

Once again, Juul is following the tobacco industry\u2019s playbook: Proclaim loudly that they don\u2019t want kids to use their product, while never admitting that their marketing targeted and attracted kids. Like its partner Altria, Juul still refuses to admit that the company\u2019s marketing targeted kids or has played a major role in youth use of its e-cigarettes \u2013 despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.<\/p>\n

This is a deceptive, self-serving gesture by Juul given their complete refusal to take responsibility for creating the youth e-cigarette epidemic. It is a blatant attempt to deflect attention from the company\u2019s wrongdoing while it opposes meaningful government regulation to prevent it from continuing to addict kids. There can be no doubt about Juul\u2019s role in the current youth epidemic: It marketed a sleek, cool, high-tech product that comes in sweet flavors that appeal to kids, delivers a massive dose of nicotine that can quickly hook kids and was launched with social media marketing that a Stanford study found was patently youth-oriented.<\/p>\n

This is one more example that Juul is more interested in repairing its image and expanding its sales than preventing youth use. Juul is following the tobacco industry\u2019s playbook to the letter: Addict kids, deny responsibility for doing so, run slick PR campaigns to fool policy makers and the public, and fight real solutions to the problem.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I couldn’t have said it better myself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This happened a while ago, but I’m just now getting to it. I really got a kick out of it. And it pissed me off. The owner of Juul actually apologized for the role his company played in helping to popularize e-cig use by teenagers. It totally came off like an old Monty Python bit … Continue reading Juul’s owner is so awfully sorry<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4274,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[894,22,900,803],"tags":[902,804],"class_list":["post-4273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-e-cigarettes-and-kids","category-e-cigs","category-juul","category-teen-vaping","tag-juul","tag-teen-vaping"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/gallery_medium.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4hpEa-16V","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4278,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=4278","url_meta":{"origin":4273,"position":0},"title":"Juul prepares to fight San Francisco","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"August 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Remember the douchy Juul CEO who is so awfully, terribly sorry that teenagers use his product? Well, while researching douche-bro, I found out he's preparing to go to war with San Francisco. San Francisco a few weeks ago was the first major city in the U.S. to ban sales of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "e-cig bans"","block_context":{"text":"e-cig bans","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=252"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/san-francisco.jpg?fit=740%2C416&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/san-francisco.jpg?fit=740%2C416&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/san-francisco.jpg?fit=740%2C416&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/san-francisco.jpg?fit=740%2C416&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4161,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=4161","url_meta":{"origin":4273,"position":1},"title":"What the hell is a “Juul”?","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"March 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Never heard of these things until a couple of weeks ago. I'm still not 100 percent sure what the big deal is about them. It sounds to be something like Vaal, from the original Star Trek and\u00a0 reminds of an old SNL skit about some feminine product where the whole\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "e-cigarettes"","block_context":{"text":"e-cigarettes","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=21"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/18big-alt-master768.jpg?fit=768%2C512&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/18big-alt-master768.jpg?fit=768%2C512&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/18big-alt-master768.jpg?fit=768%2C512&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/18big-alt-master768.jpg?fit=768%2C512&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4185,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=4185","url_meta":{"origin":4273,"position":2},"title":"FDA thinking about ban on vaping flavours; Juuls on the radar","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"September 7, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Oooh, I will DEFINITELY be keeping my eye on this one. The Food and Drug Administration is apparently mulling the possibility of banning vaping flavours and is reviewing any regulations that are needed for Juuls, as well. Juuls are a fairly new type of e-cigarette that doesn't look like an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "e-cig flavourings"","block_context":{"text":"e-cig flavourings","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=901"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/flavored-e-cigs-1024x448.jpg?fit=1024%2C448&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/flavored-e-cigs-1024x448.jpg?fit=1024%2C448&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/flavored-e-cigs-1024x448.jpg?fit=1024%2C448&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/flavored-e-cigs-1024x448.jpg?fit=1024%2C448&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4296,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=4296","url_meta":{"origin":4273,"position":3},"title":"San Francisco refuses to overturn e-cig ban","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"November 15, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Juul, which ironically enough is actually based in San Francisco, helped finance a ballot measure to overturn the city of San Francisco's ban on selling e-cigarette products in the city. Well Juul ... you get NOTHING. The Juul-backed measure failed by 78 percent. Let me reiterate ... 78 fucking percent.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Juul"","block_context":{"text":"Juul","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=900"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/san-francisco-flavor-ban-thumbnail-02.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/san-francisco-flavor-ban-thumbnail-02.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/san-francisco-flavor-ban-thumbnail-02.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/san-francisco-flavor-ban-thumbnail-02.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4384,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=4384","url_meta":{"origin":4273,"position":4},"title":"More sleaze from Juul","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"August 6, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"And speaking of sleaze from Juul Wow, Juul just keeps copying the 1960s tobacco industry. Seriously, this is a move straight out of the old Tobacco Insitute for Research Committee, a front organization for the tobacco industry to discredit scientific studies on tobacco and cancer. The TIRC was active from\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "e-cigarettes"","block_context":{"text":"e-cigarettes","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=21"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/juul-products-ap-ps-190924_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg?fit=992%2C558&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/juul-products-ap-ps-190924_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg?fit=992%2C558&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/juul-products-ap-ps-190924_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg?fit=992%2C558&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/juul-products-ap-ps-190924_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg?fit=992%2C558&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4201,"url":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?p=4201","url_meta":{"origin":4273,"position":5},"title":"FDA to ban flavoured e-cig products from minimarts","author":"Pepe Lepew","date":"November 9, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Well, this is progress, I wonder if it will have any effect. The FDA announced that it will soon ban the sale of e-cig flavourings at minimarts. This is in response to the rapid rise of e-cig use by teenagers. The FDA warned a few weeks ago that it was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "e-cig flavourings"","block_context":{"text":"e-cig flavourings","link":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/?cat=901"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/capitalMOM-think-about-teen-vaping-1080x675.jpg?fit=1080%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/capitalMOM-think-about-teen-vaping-1080x675.jpg?fit=1080%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/capitalMOM-think-about-teen-vaping-1080x675.jpg?fit=1080%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/capitalMOM-think-about-teen-vaping-1080x675.jpg?fit=1080%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/capitalMOM-think-about-teen-vaping-1080x675.jpg?fit=1080%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4273"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4273\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pepesnonsmokingpartytimelounge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}