JUUL E-Cigarettes Encourage Teen Vaping, Lawsuits Claim

Consumer advocates believe that the rise of teen vaping can be attributed to attractive e-cig marketing campaigns, such as the JUUL marketing which emphasized the variety of JUUL flavors available for vaping.

The JUUL e-cigarette, or “e-cig”, is a small device which looks very similar to a USB drive. JUUL pods are sold for use with the device and come in a variety of JUUL flavors including mango, fruit medley, and crème brulee. Some parents claim these flavors are designed to encourage teen vaping. 

Although JUUL e-cigs lack the harsh sensation and unattractive taste associated with traditional cigarettes, some consumers claim that they deliver a higher concentration of nicotine into the bloodstream. Studies allegedly performed by JUUL Labs Inc. show that the nicotine formulation used by the company creates peak blood nicotine levels up to 35 percent higher than those created by a Pall Mall cigarette.

Critics of the e-cigarette claim that the high nicotine delivery, paired with colorful marketing and JUUL flavors, has contributed to the trend of teen vaping.

Recent estimates suggest that up to 2 million youth ages 12 to 17 have engaged in teen vaping using a JUUL vape pen within the last 30 days. Nicotine addiction specialists consider the prevalence of teen vaping to be indicative of nicotine addiction.

“It’s extremely hard, once someone is addicted to nicotine, to get them off it,” says Johnathan Winickoff, speaking to The New Yorker. Winickoff is a pediatrician at Massachusetts General Hospital, a professor at Harvard Medical School, and former chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Tobacco Consortium. “As a clinician, you know that their brain has changed, that it will always be nicotine-hungry. You feel that you have lost that child.”

High estimates of teen vaping are supported by a variety of studies and reports. The New York Times reported that a 2017 survey showed 11 percent of 12^th graders, 8.5 percent of 10^th graders, and 3.5 percent of 8^th graders had engaged in teen vaping of nicotine within thirty days of the survey.

A teen vaping report released by the Surgeon General further confirmed fears that young Americans are becoming addicted to nicotine through e-cig usage and devices such as the JUUL. The report showed that in 2015, over 3 million middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in the past month. This included one out of every six high school students.

Even more concerning is the finding that over 85 percent of youths who use e-cigs use flavored, with flavors being the leading reason for teen vaping. Concerned parents, and the parents of children who have become addicted to nicotine through JUUL usage have alleged that JUUL Labs intentionally targeted teen vaping through their advertisement of JUUL flavors and the usage of social media.

Lawsuits have already been filed regarding the issue, alleging that JUUL Labs encouraged teen vaping through their promotion of the JUUL e-cig. The company allegedly marketed their products to younger consumers by using social media and other advertising likely to reach children. The company’s heavy marketing of their JUUL flavors is also the subject of controversy.

The lawsuit against JUUL Labs aims to hold the company responsible for encouraging teen vaping and nicotine addiction in young Americans.

Join a Free JUUL E-Cigarette Calls Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or your child used a JUUL e-cigarette and later became addicted to nicotine, you may be eligible to join the JUUL e-cigarette class action lawsuit or start a new suit.

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