JUUL2 Smart Vape Now Available Exclusively in the UK

Juul Labs will launch its second generation JUUL device Sept. 30 in the United Kingdom. The JUUL2 will only be sold online at launch, but is expected in British retail stores early next year.

The JUUL2 will not be available in the United States in the near future. Any new vaping product has to first be authorized by the FDA through the Premarket Tobacco Application (PMTA) pathway. That could mean the JUUL2 won’t be sold in the U.S. for more than a year after a PMTA is submitted—if Juul decides to submit an application. Juul Labs is still waiting for an FDA decision on the PMTA for the original JUUL device.

The JUUL2 appears to be geared for sale in countries that have restricted allowable nicotine strength to 20 mg/mL (2 percent) or less. The UK has a 20 mg/mL limit, as do all European Union countries, Canada, Israel, and others.

Vaping devices with tiny atomizers and batteries like the original JUUL require high-strength nicotine to deliver a satisfying level to users accustomed to smoking cigarettes. That’s why Juul Labs’ original product contains 59 mg/mL e-liquid. The new JUUL2 puts out more vapor, allowing it to deliver more nicotine with lower-strength e-liquid.

Research by Juul Labs shows the new JUUL2 pods, which use 18 mg/mL e-liquid, deliver more nicotine to users than the original JUUL (with 59 mg/mL e-liquid) when used freely. JUUL2 was less impressive under controlled-use conditions with a limited number of puffs. Neither product delivered as much nicotine as cigarettes or the IQOS heated tobacco product, but their nicotine delivery patterns are similar to cigarettes.

The JUUL2 will launch with tobacco and menthol pods only. It isn’t known if Juul Labs will eventually offer additional flavors. Original JUUL pods are available in mango, mint and berry flavors in the UK, as well as tobacco and menthol. The new pods are not compatible with first-generation JUUL devices, and vice versa.

The JUUL2 smart device is able to recognize and authenticate proprietary JUUL2 pods when they’re attached, which Juul Labs says will eliminate the risk of mistakenly buying counterfeit products. The function is similar to the authentication feature in the recently updated version of the PAX Era cannabis oil vape, made by Juul Labs’ former sister company PAX Labs.

Counterfeit pods have been a longtime problem for Juul Labs. Many black and gray market “JUUL-compatible” pods are available, including pods containing nicotine or cannabis. The company believes the smart technology in the JUUL2 will eliminate this issue.

Photos courtesy Juul Labs.