Washington, DC - American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown issued the following statement Wednesday in response to reports that a longtime Altria executive will become JUUL’s new chief executive:
“By appointing a longtime Altria executive as its new CEO, JUUL is fully embracing its identity as a tobacco company that prioritizes profits over public health. We are deeply concerned that under the leadership of someone who was most recently responsible for growing the market for Marlboro and other deadly tobacco products, JUUL will continue to prey upon youth and mislead the public about the health risks of e-cigarette use.
No one should mistake the company’s suspension of its marketing efforts as anything other than a naked attempt to ease public pressure and curry favor with elected officials. The company’s track record of lies and deceit, which has resulted in more than 5 million youth e-cigarette users at risk for nicotine addiction, is unfortunately the best predictor of the company’s future behavior.
Neither JUUL nor any other tobacco company can be trusted to act on its own in the best interest of our nation’s youth. We urge the Trump administration to move forward with its plans to immediately remove all flavored e-cigarettes from the market.”
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.