Juul will limit flavored e-cigarette sales

SAN FRANCISCO — Juul Labs Inc., the maker of a hotselling vaping device that is increasingly popular with teens, will stop selling most flavored e-cigarettes in retail stores, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The decision follows word that U.S. health officials are preparing to step up efforts to curtail underage use of ecigarettes. On Thursday, a senior official at the Food and Drug Administration said the agency plans to restrict sales of many fruit- and dessert-flavored nicotine pods to adult-only stores.

The new curbs will apply only to cartridge-style devices, such as Juul, according to the FDA official. The Juul device has become popular with young people in part because its small size and resemblance to a USB drive make it easy to conceal.

Juul’s move is expected to affect 45 percent of its in-store retail sales, according to the person familiar with the company’s plans. Tobacco and menthol-flavored Juuls will still be available in stores.