Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul is a compelling four-part docuseries by Netflix that delves into the captivating journey of Juul, the e-cigarette company. The series adopts a refreshingly nuanced approach, avoiding a simplistic good vs. bad narrative by presenting a diverse array of perspectives.

In the first episode, viewers are taken back to the inception of the company. Founded by Stanford students Adam Bowen and James Monsees, initially named Ploom, they embarked on a mission to create a product that emulated the smoking ritual but without the harmful health effects. Their journey was far from smooth, marked by struggles to develop a functional prototype, with their first attempt, the Model One, proving to be a failure. After pivoting to Pax, a product that unexpectedly resonated with marijuana users, Juul was eventually born, propelling the company to astonishing heights.

The second episode delves into the turning point where Juul’s initial vision went awry—marketing. Instead of targeting their core audience of adult smokers, Juul veered towards an urban, trendy lifestyle brand, inadvertently attracting a younger, non-smoking demographic. This marketing approach was compared to the tactics employed by the tobacco industry in its early days when it sought to entice youth. Media scrutiny prompted a shift in the company’s stance as it began to grasp the unintended consequences of its marketing. Concurrently, practical challenges arose, such as retailers hesitating to stock Juul products and issues with the liquid in Juul pods. The introduction of regulations by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) further complicated matters, but word-of-mouth and social buzz saved the day, making Juul a household name.

The third episode introduces the voices of teen vapers, shedding light on how Juul became a social ritual, akin to the cigarette culture. Juul’s rapid growth presented supply chain issues, leading to the appointment of a new CEO, Kevin Burns, who spearheaded efforts to address these challenges. Under his leadership, Juul expanded exponentially, achieving a remarkable $10 billion valuation. However, the company faced a severe drawback, its products became immensely popular among adolescents, infiltrating classrooms and young lives. Vaping escalated into an epidemic, causing health issues and addiction, straying far from Juul’s original mission.

The fourth and final episode unveils the downfall of Juul. Despite the founders becoming billionaires and employees becoming millionaires, public opinion shifted as the health crisis associated with Juul usage became more evident. Parents began petitioning the FDA to address the issue, transforming it into a political and media crisis. The FDA took action by banning e-cigarette sales in San Francisco without prior approval. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) coined the term EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping-use-associated lung injury) to describe vaping-related health problems. Influenced by social media campaigns and faced with numerous lawsuits, the CEO departed, along with early employees. The series climaxes with one of the co-founders, James Monsees, leaving the company, signaling Juul’s impending demise. Currently, Juul has settled over $3 billion in lawsuits and faces an uncertain future.