Can E Cigs Cause Seizures?

E-cigarettes have a reputation of being less harmful than traditional cigarettes, but the JUUL vape pen and other e cigs may be just as dangerous as their predecessors, and may even cause serious problems like seizures.

Couple Blames Teen Daughter’s Seizures on E Cigs

Rolling Stone reports that a Florida couple has filed a proposed class action lawsuit against JUUL Labs Inc. and tobacco giant Altria Group Inc.

Plaintiffs Erin and Jared N. say their 15-year-old daughter began using JUUL e-cigarettes when she was 14 and began having seizures within a year. The parents accuse the companies of deliberately targeting teenagers in advertising campaigns.

By “mimicking Big Tobacco’s post-marketing practices, defendants prey on youth to recruit replacement smokers for financial gain,” the lawsuit states.

More specifically, JUUL is alleged to have engaged in marketing techniques heavily reliant on social media, on platforms teenagers and young children use.

The lawsuit notes that JUUL owns about three-quarters of the e-cigarette market. Its pods reportedly deliver 30 percent more nicotine per puff than traditional cigarettes, yet the manufacturers’ advertising tout that the product contasins less nicotine and is a better option that cigarettes, accordinfg to the suit.

Erin and Jared are seeking class-wide damages for alleged violations of federal racketeering laws, fraud, and deceptive marketing practices.

Can E Cigs Cause Seizures?

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has announced that the agency is investigating reports of seizures linked to e-cigarettes and JUUL pens.

According to an April 2019 statement, seizures are a known side effect of nicotine poisoning, though they have not yet been definitively connected with e cigarette usage. Seizures occur because of sudden electrical activity in the brain that can cause full-body convulsions, or sometimes just a lapse in awareness or consciousness. In some cases, seizures may last as little as a few seconds, or as long as several minutes.

The FDA statement references 35 adverse event reports of seizures connected with e cigarette usage that were filed between 2010 and 2019, according to CNBC. Most of the reports of vaping-related seizures involved youth and young adults.

Adverse events are often underreported, and there may be far more cases that went unreported to the FDA or to Poison Control. Some reports indicate that seizures occurred up to a day after usage, while others happened following just a few puffs.

The FDA recommends calling 911 immediately if you think someone is having a seizure.

How Popular are E Cigs Among Minors?

FDA research reveals that 3.62 million middle and high school students used e cigs in 2018. In 2018, e cigarrette usage saw an uptick of 78 percent among high schoolers compared to 2017, and an increase of 48 percentin middle school students. Currently, some 21 percent of high school students are using e-cigarettes, according to the FDA.

In September 2018, Commissioner Gottlieb referred to vaping among teens as “nothing short of an epidemic proportion of growth.”

“E-cigs have become an almost ubiquitous—and dangerous—trend among teens,” Gottlieb said. “The disturbing and accelerating trajectory of use we’re seeing in youth, and the resulting path to addiction, must end.”

Erin and Jared’s lawsuit is NesSmith et al v. JUUL Labs Inc. et al., Case No. 8:19-cv-00884, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Filing an E-Cigarette Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has suffered seizures or other side effects of e-cigs like the JUUL vape pen, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by nicotine addiction and its side effects, but it can at least help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses, lost wages, and more.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented 
for informational purposes only.