Five attorneys general from Connecticut, Florida, Nevada, Oregon, and Texas recently launched an investigation into how e-cigarette manufacturer JUUL markets their product.

According to the attorneys general, the 39 state coalition will look into the company’s marketing to see if they are advertising their products as smoking cessation aids without FDA approval.

“I will not prejudge where this investigation will lead, but we will follow every fact and are prepared to take strong action in conjunction with states across the nation to protect public health,” said Connecticut Attorney General William Tong in a statement.

Additionally, leaders in the attorney general investigation note that their probe will build on other investigations into the company’s marketing of vape pens to young consumers.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody pointed to “an epidemic of underage vaping, not just in Florida but nationwide.” Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum reportedly expanded on these thoughts, arguing that JUUL e-cigarettes have “almost [single-handedly] gotten a whole new generation of teens hooked on tobacco.”

In light of the massive attorney general-led investigation launched into the company’s marketing and recent health issues, JUUL Labs has reportedly halted their advertisements and eliminated the majority of their flavored JUUL pods. These actions reportedly aim to assuage the concerns voiced by officials and others.

“We will continue to reset the vapor category in the U.S. and seek to earn the trust of society by working cooperatively with attorneys general, regulators, public health officials, and other stakeholders to combat underage use and transition adult smokers from combustible cigarettes,” JUUL Labs said in a statement, according to Fox News.

E-Cigarette Marketing

In the past, JUUL Labs has come under fire for allegedly marketing its products to young consumers and even teenagers.

Last year, Vox released the results of a white paper from researchers at Stanford, entitled Research Into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising. According to the researchers’ analysis of JUUL’s marketing, the company put out thousands of Instagram posts, emails, and advertisements between 2015 and 2018. Many of these advertisements were reportedly “patently youth-oriented”, reminiscent of the tobacco industry’s cigarette marketing.

The researchers point to bright colors, humor, pop culture, memes, attractive models, and other factors in marketing. In the summer of 2015, e-cigarette JUUL marketing reportedly utilized social media influencers to popularize their products among younger consumers – some not old enough to purchase the product.

According to the researchers, JUUL’s youth-centered advertisements between 2015 and 2018 aligned with a massive jump in e-cigarette usage amongst teenagers. Between 2015 and 2018, e-cigarette usage over 30 days among high school seniors reportedly jumped from 16.3 percent to 26.7 percent. This increase in usage helped with the jump in awareness of seizures and lung illnesses caused by e-cigarettes.

In contrast with their earlier marketing to teens, which caused blowback, JUUL e-cigarettes are now marketed as an alternative to cigarettes. JUUL says that its corporate mission is to transition adult smokers away from traditional cigarettes, eliminate the use of these products, and combat the underage use of e-cigarette JUUL products.

“We envision a world where fewer adults use cigarettes, and where adults who smoke cigarettes have the tools to reduce or eliminate their consumption entirely, should they so desire,” the company’s marketing notes.

Although these marketing strategies may be more responsible, recent investigations into the brand aim to determine if JUUL is taking their ads too far by marketing their products as unapproved smoking cessation devices.

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If you or your child suffered seizures after vaping with a JUUL e-cigarette, you may benefit from participating in a free JUUL class action lawsuit investigation.

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