DC sues JUUL for 'creating teen public health crisis by marketing addictive e-cigarettes'
Daily MailThe District of Columbia is suing JUUL Labs Inc, saying the e-cigarette maker's online ads and promotions illegally targeted minors. DC Attorney General Karl Racine announced the lawsuit on Tuesday, alleging that the company 'created a teen public health crisis by 'deliberately targeting underage consumers' and 'deceiving consumers about the content, strength, and safety of its products.' It comes on the heels of a new survey this month that found 28 percent of high school students reported using e-cigarettes in the last 30 days, an increase from bout 20 percent in 2018 Washington, DC Attorney General Karl Racine announced the lawsuit on Tuesday, saying JUUL Labs Inc, used online promotions and 'JUUL has created a public health emergency in the District and nationwide by marketing its highly-addictive nicotine products to children, and failing to warn consumers about the harmful effects of e-cigarettes - all in its pursuit of profit,' said AG Racine in a press release. The lawsuit alleges the company violated the Consumer Protection Procedures Act by marketing the products to minors, deceiving the public about the e-cigarette's addictiveness, misleading customers on the product's safety, lying about efforts to combat youth smoking and failing to verify ages of purchasers; Additionally, the AG's office has issued subpoenas to eight other e-cigarette companies to investigate whether or not they engaged in similar practices. Most of the illnesses have resulted from people vaping a combination of THC, the main psychoactive component in marijuana, and nicotine Although JUUL's products contain nicotine, not THC, politicians have used the epidemic to try and regulate the e-cigarette maker.