JUUL nicotine pods are getting a makeover amid criticism of its marketing

Select JUUL nicotine pods are going from 5% nicotine to 3%. It's the company response to criticism that the e-cigarettes cause serious addiction.

Select JUUL nicotine pods are going from 5% nicotine to 3%.

By Meagan Morris, Metro

JUUL is dominating the multi-billion dollar e-cigarette industry — and the company is looking to move into the European market. But not before the lower the nicotine in some nicotine pod flavors.

[post_ads]"JUUL has enabled more than one million adult smokers to replace cigarettes, and we want to continue to offer meaningful options to adult smokers who want to end their relationship with combustible cigarettes," JUUL Labs Chief Executive Officer Kevin Burns said after announcing the release of two JUUL nicotine pods with reduce amounts of the addictive additive.

But why they need to lower the amount in the JUUL nicotine pods in the first place?

The amount of nicotine in JUUL nicotine pods

JUUL e-cigarettes seem to be the vice of choice for thousands of high school and college students. The reason: They’re about the side of a flash drive, making them easy to hide — oh, and they’re full of nicotine.

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Just one of the JUUL nicotine pods contains as much nicotine as two packs of cigarettes. But unlike cigarettes, JUUL nicotine pods are made with nicotine salts to make it a "more pleasant experience" for users.

And though they’re touted as a healthier alternative to cigarettes, many young people are finding it difficult to stop using JUUL e-cigarettes.

"It's impossible to let go once you started using," student Julien Lavandier told NPR. "I'll tell you — after even an hour and a half or two, I am chomping at the bit to find my Juul."

[post_ads]To cut down on the nicotine — and the criticism — JUUL is going to reduce the amount of nicotine in a nicotine pod by 40 percent in two flavors. According to the company, they are planning a limited the Mint and Virginia Tobacco with 3 percent nicotine by weight in August, with a wider release in October.

"JUUL Labs wants to meet the needs and preferences of adult smokers who are on their journey to switching from cigarettes, and we hope the availability of different nicotine strengths will continue to allow adult smokers the ability to explore what is best for them,” Burns said in the statement.

And, quite possibly, inspire even more people to take up the JUUL habit.