Due to major problems faced with vaping devices, the Juul CEO, Kevin Burns, has stepped down. K.C. Crosthwaite, executive from the Tobacco company Altria, will be replacing him. Burns publicly apologized for the nation’s teen vaping epidemic, Juul announced on September 25. In addition, the company will stop all advertising in the United States which includes suspending all of its broadcast and print and digital ads.

In the past few weeks, hundreds of people, typically between the ages of 18 and 34, have been admitted to hospitals due to the major lung diseases and other problems after vaping. E-cigarettes were brought to the market a few years ago as an alternative to smoking, the most popular being the “Juul.” The result of this was a major increase in vaping. Juuling has become popular mainly among teens and young adults but medical professionals have been concerned about the high concentration of nicotine in the devices. 

As of early October, 13 people have died and even more have obtained serious illnesses. The nicotine is addictive, as well as toxic to adolescents. One Juul pod is equivalent to an entire pack of cigarettes. Some side effects found by researchers include increased heart rate and blood pressure, lung disease, chronic bronchitis, and insulin resistance. 

Federal prosecutors in California are reportedly conducting a criminal examination into Juul. Health officials are seeing more cases every day, the Centers for Disease Control stated.