The American Medical Association has urged bans on vaping products after both California and New York became the most recent states to file lawsuits against the e-cigarette giant alleging that the company targeted and lured young people with deceptive marketing.
According to a news report in The New York Times, the lawsuits filed against Juul claimed that the company deliberately marketed and sold vaping products to young people and helped create a public health crisis.
Deceptive Advertising
Specifically, the lawsuits allege that Juul targeted youth with deceptive advertising featuring flavors such as mango, cool mint, and cucumber. They say the company failed to warn customers that the vaping devices contain nicotine, misrepresented them as a safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes and sold them illegally to minors.
The association, which represents the nation’s doctors, issued a statement this week pointing to a surge in young people using e-cigarettes and said the association had adopted a policy to urge regulators to issue sweeping bans on the sale and distribution of all vaping and e-cigarette products.
Juul absolutely went out of the way to make their products look “cool” and market them specifically to young people. According to the New York lawsuit, the company launched ad campaigns with young models and hashtags like #LightsCameraVapor in 2015, the year Juul products first hit the market, glamorizing vaping and downplaying the presence of harmful ingredients in these products.
Targeting Young People
Juul Labs holds about 70% of the e-cigarette market. The company has come under intense scrutiny amid an alarming outbreak of lung injuries and fatalities that have been linked to vaping. Public health officials have so far reported 2,172 lung injury cases and 43 deaths connected to vaping.
More than 120 of the injured patients were under the age of 18. In a majority of those cases, people said they had vaped THC, which Juul does not sell. But, these illnesses illustrate just how prevalent vaping has become among the nation’s teens.
Our product defect attorneys have been saying for years now that Juul and other e-cigarette manufacturers have simply adopted the Big Tobacco’s marketing playbook using cleverly placed ads to reach vulnerable targets. While traditional cigarette companies used mascots such as Joe Camel to appeal to young people, these e-cigarette manufacturers sell their products using social media influencers on Instagram and celebrities.
If you or a loved one has been injured or if you have lost a loved one due to the harmful health effects of e-cigarettes, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the manufacturers of these products seeking compensation for their damages and losses. An experienced product defect lawyer can help victims and their families better understand their legal rights and options.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/19/health/juul-lawsuit-ny-california.html
