Joanna Szabo  |  July 28, 2020

Category: E-Cigarette

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JUUL health issues aside, the company is targeting young people, study finds.

In the last few years, Juul has come under fire for advertising to youth, though the popular vape manufacturer continues to deny these allegations. However, according to recent research from Stanford University, Juul advertising specifically targets teens and young people, despite what the company claims.

Vaping can have negative effects on all age groups, but children and young teens are particularly vulnerable. The majority of e-cigarette products available (the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 99 percent) contain nicotine, a substance known to be highly addictive, as well as harmful to brain development in adolescents—brain development that continues until they reach their mid-20s. But many young Juul users may be unaware that Juul products always contain nicotine and that they are risking becoming addicted to the dangerous substance.

Vaping related health concerns include nicotine addiction, vaping product use–associated lung injury, and even seizures. Indeed, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said that it received 127 reports of neurological issues associated with vaping between 2010 and 2019, including 35 reports of seizures specifically. The FDA has warned about the risks of vaping, especially among young people.

“Youth and young adult users should also be aware that some e-cigarettes (also called vapes) can contain high levels of nicotine, even as much nicotine as a pack of regular cigarettes,” the federal agency warned. “Teens who vape may end up addicted to nicotine factor than teens who smoke. Vapes may be used more frequently because they are easier to hide and may expose users to more nicotine.”

“There are no safe tobacco products,” the FDA stressed.

On top of the risks associated with nicotine, vaping can also expose users to other harmful chemicals, as well as predispose young people to using and becoming addicted to other drugs in the future.

More than five million middle and high school students were e-cigarette users in 2019, about 20 percent of whom used these products every day. These numbers are concerning, but perhaps more concerning is the fact that these numbers mark a substantial increase from previous years. According to the FDA, from 2017 to 2019, the use of e-cigarettes among high school students increased by 78 percent, and by 48 percent among middle schoolers, with 3.6 million users in 2018.

And Juul holds more than three-quarters of the e-cigarette market in the United States.

Social Media Youth Advertising

Critics have long suggested that Juul advertising purposely targets young people, though the company has denied these claims for just as long. But a recent study from Stanford Research Into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising has come to the conclusion that Juul’s advertising was “patently youth-oriented,” even using many of the same tactics of the tobacco industry which was widely criticized for the same targeting of advertising to youth.

In 2018, then­–FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., said that the “epidemic of e-cigarette use among teenagers” was one of the FDA’s biggest challenges.

“I use the word epidemic with great care,” Gottlieb said in a statement. “E-cigs have become an almost ubiquitous—and dangerous—trend among teens. The disturbing and accelerating trajectory of use we’re seeing in youth, and the resulting path to addiction, must end…The FDA won’t tolerate a whole generation of young people becoming addicted to nicotine as a tradeoff for enabling adults to have unfettered access to these same products.”

Indeed, while Juul’s official mission is “improving the lives of the one billion adult smokers,” critics have noted that Juul’s compact, flash drive­–like design and color and flavor options appear to clearly target young people.

This new report from Stanford researchers analyzed ads from Juul, including those hosted on their website, dispersed via their social media accounts, and sent via email to consumers. Their research also took into account marketing campaigns Juul had used earlier on, but has deleted from its website recently.

The study’s goal was to determine to what extent the ads purposely appealed to young people, using factors like humor, pop culture, meme usage, cartoons, and covert use of the product, among others. The researchers found that Juul advertising used young online influencers, colorful ads, and social media to deliberately target young people. Notably, the ads did not include adult smokers and did not focus on the company’s purported mission—to help older traditional cigarette smokers quit.

Juul Sponsored Health Events

In a further effort to distance itself from criticism that it deliberately targeted youth, Juul created curriculum for schools it said would inform young people about its product and dissuade them from using it.

However, analysis of that curriculum was recently published in the Journal of Adolescent Health. The analysis indicates that Juul’s curriculum actually skipped over essential information about Juul products’ risk, which should have been both included and emphasized.

scientists are looking at risks of vaping“They [the curriculum materials] barely mention the word JUUL,” Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, a Stanford University pediatrics professor who co-authored the analysis, told The Daily Beast.

According to Halpern-Fisher’s analysis, Juul’s so-called educational curriculum was walking in the footsteps of Big Tobacco.

“Although the JUUL Curriculum covers the basics of the science behind addiction and nicotine in the brain, it does not emphasize youth’s susceptibility to the highly addictive nature of nicotine,” note the researchers. “The JUUL Curriculum’s approach to addressing the risk of e-cigarettes is insufficient because it neglects to present information on nicotine levels in JUULs, which is very high. Therefore, the JUUL Curriculum is not portraying the harmful details of their product, similar to how past tobacco industry curricula left out details of the health risks of cigarette use.”

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said that letting Juul create educational curriculum was “a little like letting the fox into the henhouse.” To note, around 40 state attorneys general also launched an investigation into e-cigarette’s effect on teen consumers and the advertising practices of JUUL.

Juul has since stopped implementing its program with schools.

Restrictions to Juul Youth Advertising

Juul advertising has shifted gears in the last couple of years, according to the study, looking more adult and conservative than young, vibrant, and viral. Juul ads often use the slogan “make the switch,” and clearly target adult smokers looking to quit.

In late 2019, Juul said its flavored pods would no longer be sold in retail stores, took down its Instagram and Facebook accounts, and worked to remove older posts that were more youth-oriented.

But this pivot is too little, too late, according to Stanford professor Robert Jackler, who led this research. “The Juul hashtag lives on. It’s immortal. It’s still viral in peer-to-peer teen promotion.”

How Is the Center for Environmental Health Responding?

The Center for Environmental Health (CEH), an environmental health watchdog, recently announced a settlement that will restrict Juul from youth advertising. While Juul has previously stated its intention to not target young people, this is the first legally binding commitment surrounding these stated goals.

The new guidelines will prohibit Juul from advertising via social media or media outlets with younger readers. It also is not allowed to advertise within 1,000 feet of schools or playgrounds, and any models it uses in its advertisements must be age 28 or older. Juul can also no longer sponsor or advertise at events, such as sporting events and concerts, that allow anyone under age 21.

Violations of any component of this new agreement open up the company to litigation by the Center for Environmental Health.

Filing a Juul Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has suffered from Juul complications like nicotine addiction or seizures, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by these complications, but it can at least help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by medical expenses, lost wages, and more.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, especially while dealing with health issues, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

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.

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