A 20-year-old woman is suing the makers of a popular e-cigarette, alleging she developed JUUL health problems.

Plaintiff Savannah West says she tried JUUL for the first time when she was 17 years old and egged on by her peers. After her first vape, Savannah says she was addicted, even though she didn’t know how much nicotine was in the vaping juice.

Savannah says she was initially most attracted to vaping for the flavors alone, such as mango and mint, which she used most often. She allegedly developed a severe addiction to nicotine quickly, vaping up to two full packs of JUUL pods each week.

According to the JUUL lawsuit, she “now struggles to function without nicotine. She experiences strong mood swings and bouts of rage from withdrawal from the JUUL.”

Savannah blames the high nicotine levels in JUUL with causing her to develop mood disorders she never had previously, and of which there allegedly is no family history. When she stopped JUUL cold turkey in November 2017, she allegedly began to feel suicidal during nicotine withdrawal. Upon admission to a hospital, Savannah was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

JUUL Health Problems More Pronounced in Youth

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nicotine is harmful to the developing brain of adolescents, whose brains aren’t fully developed until age 25 or 26. Nicotine particularly may affect attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.

The CDC explains that every time the brain creates a new memory or learns a new skill, the brain cells create stronger connections. Nicotine interferes with this process, especially because the brains of young people form the connections, known as synapses, at a much quicker rate than the brains of adults.

E-cigarettes don’t contain tobacco, but they do contain other potentially unhealthy additives in addition to nicotine.  Researchers at the University of California-Riverside found 99 different chemical flavorings in the top 20 vaping juices. One juice packet contains between 22 and 47 different chemical flavorings, depending upon the brand and the flavor. Ethyl maltol, found in more than half the vaping juices tested, also is the most toxic to living cells.

Another common vape juice flavoring, diacetyl, has been associated with causing “popcorn lung,” which is medically known as bronchiolitis obliterans. Inhaling diacetyl can irritate the lungs, causing scarring that makes the tiny air sacs in the lungs more narrow, which then makes it difficult to breathe.

Popcorn lung became its nickname because diacetyl is a chemical used to flavor microwaveable popcorn. Factory workers who packaged microwave popcorn began to develop bronchiolitis obliterans at an increased rate compared to the general population, which is how the lung ailment became known as “popcorn lung.”

Because JUUL vaping juices contain diacetyl, potential JUUL health problems include popcorn lung.

Savannah’s JUUL vaping lawsuit alleges JUUL hid the dangers of vaping, marketed to youth through social media sites, promoted flavors that would be popular with young people and effectively eliminated the “throat hit” that cigarette smokers experience upon inhalation. Without the throat hit, the user allegedly can take a quicker puff of a JUUL than even a seasoned smoker would a regular cigarette.

The JUUL Health Problems Lawsuit is Case No. 2:19-cv-505, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, Northern Division.

Join a Free JUUL E-Cigarette Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

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.

Learn More

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