New York Attorney General Letitia James sued e-cigarette giant Juul Tuesday for allegedly engaging in deceptive marketing and sales tactics that targeted young people and contributed significantly to the rising national vaping crisis.
Juul “took a page from Big Tobacco’s playbook” by engaging in deceptive business practices through marketing and advertising tactics and illegally selling products over the internet to minors, according to the suit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.
The lawsuit says that Juul has engaged in “years-long deceptive and illegal practices” and that its “aggressive advertising” of its flavored vape products “has contributed to a public health crisis that has left countless New Yorkers – many of them teenagers – addicted to its products and fighting for their health.”
The e-cigarette behemoth “repeatedly targeted teenagers through its vast advertising campaigns and sold its products in a variety of appealing flavors to underage New Yorkers through its website and in retail stores in violation of New York State law,” the suit claims.
Last month, Juul stopped selling its fruity and flavored products such as crème brulee and cucumber amid the nationwide vaping health crisis that’s claimed dozens of lives and left thousands sickened.
The lawsuit charges that Juul’s advertising and social media posts “misled consumers about the content of its products by failing to warn that they contain nicotine.”
“Not only did Juul mislead consumers about the nicotine content and addictive nature of its products, it also misrepresented its products as a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes, when in fact, Juul products deliver nicotine in a manner that makes them more addictive than traditional cigarettes,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit says that Juul “like Big Tobacco” the e-cigarette company “developed bright, colorful ads and fruity, sweet-tasting flavors, such as mango, which attracted young consumers” and “depicted young people in provocative ads that appealed to adolescents.”
“To make them even more attractive to young consumers, Juul gave the flavors fun names, such as ‘Cool Cucumber,’ ‘Crème Brulee,’ ‘Fruit Medley,’ and ‘Cool Mint.’”
In response to the suit, Juul spokesman Austin Finan said in a statement: “While we have not yet reviewed the complaint, we remain focused on resetting the vapor category in the US and earning the trust of society by working cooperatively with attorneys general, regulators, public health officials, and other stakeholders to combat underage use and convert adult smokers from combustible cigarettes…Our customer base is the world’s 1 billion adult smokers and we do not intend to attract underage users.”
New York State Department of Health officials recently admitted they still cannot pinpoint the cause behind the epidemic of lung-related illnesses connected to vaping.
DOH experts are examining 182 reported cases statewide that are related to severe pulmonary illnesses.
A National Youth Tobacco Survey found 4.1 million high schoolers and 1.2 million middle school kids use e-cigarettes.