JUUL Class Action Says E-Cigarettes More Addictive Than Advertised

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Consumers in a class action lawsuit say that JUUL is advertised as safe to use, when really, the e-cigarette device contains more nicotine than regular cigarettes.

Four plaintiffs, Michael Viscomi, David Masessa, Matthew Pedecine, and David Lechtzin, say they began using JUUL e-cigarettes because they believed that the products were safe to use, but then became addicted to the e-cigarettes because the devices contain more nicotine than cigarettes.

They aim to old the device’s maker, Juul Labs Inc., accountable for misrepresentation and to hold the company liable for the injury done to them and other similarly affected consumers.

Viscomi, Masessa, and Pedecine say that they were addicted to cigarettes, and started using JUUL as a way to quit smoking and wean themselves off of nicotine. They say that the advertisements for JUUL led them to believe that the devices contained radically less nicotine than cigarettes, when they contain roughly twice the amount of nicotine as contained in cigarettes and other vape pens.

The JUUL e-cigarette class action lawsuit claims the plaintiffs now crave JUUL e-cigarettes more than they crave regular cigarettes, and that using JUUL did not help them become less addicted to nicotine at all.

The plaintiffs say that had they known that JUUL contained more nicotine than cigarettes do, they would not have started using the device.

Lechtzin says that he is an 18-year-old, who began using JUUL e-cigarettes at the age of 17, after he was introduced to them by a friend at a party. He says that when he first began using the device, he did not know how much nicotine was in one JUUL pod.

He says that it was not until after he began using the device that he learned that the device had “specifically been developed to maximize the addictive effects of the nicotine it contained and to put extremely high doses of nicotine into the bloodstream.” Lechtzin claims that he is now addicted to JUUL pods.

To support the allegation that JUUL falsely advertises their product as safe, the JUUL nicotine class action lawsuit argues that JUUL is advertised to appeal to youth, though the company says that it is advertised to adults.

The JUUL advertising class action lawsuit claims that the fact that the device can be easily charged in a laptop and the “pods” or nicotine-delivering elements in the device come in a range of appealing flavors including mango, mint, and creme brûlée, and the e-cigarette is available in a number of attractive colors, all point to attracting a youthful market.

Allegedly, the device is also marketed towards teens in its advertising — JUUL has a significant social media presence, with numerous hashtags including #juul and #juulnation. Reportedly, one video “taunting” teens by asking “how many hits can you do?” has more than 230,000 views. The JUUL class action lawsuit argues that “young people are flocking to this dangerous device.”

The consumers claim that this fun attractive advertising scheme is in stark contrast with the reality that the device is dangerous and addictive, citing the fact that the device has been called the “health problem of the decade,” and that the fad mimics cigarette use in their heyday.

The plaintiffs are represented by Sherrie R. Savett, Barbara A. Podell, and Russell D. Paul of Berger Montague PC, and by Aaron J. Freiwald of Freiwald Law.

The JUUL E-Cigarettes Nicotine Class Action Lawsuit is Michael Viscomi, et al. v. Juul Labs Inc., et al., Case No. 5:18-cv-03760-EGS, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.