NEW YORK CITY — New York filed suit against Juul Labs for allegedly targeted kids with e-cigarette campaigns that underplayed the safety risks and emphasized the flavor, Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday.
The lawsuit against Juul Labs, Inc. alleges the electronic cigarette firm made nicotine products to draw in young smokers by marketing its sweet flavors on social media sites, James said.
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“Juul is putting countless New Yorkers at risk and compromising the health of millions of young people,” James said at a press conference. “There is no doubt that Juul … has caused this addiction.”
Vaping has caused 42 deaths and more than 2,000 serious illnesses in the United States, according to the Attorney General.
New York City’s first fatality was a 17-year-old Bronx boy who became the youngest person to die from a vaping related illness in October.
Juul employees allegedly reached out to at least on New York City high school and told freshman its products were safer than cigarettes, James said.
“[Juul] misrepresented the safety and therapeutic value of its cigarettes,” said James. “They allowed minors to purchase it’s product.”
Juul, which did not immediately respond to Patch’s request for comment, faces a similar lawsuit in California, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Spokesman Austin Finan told Patch it has ceased accepting order for Mint JUULpods, suspended U.S. advertisements and that the company did not intend to attract underage users.
“While we have not yet reviewed the complaint, we remain focused on resetting the vapor category in the U.S. and earning the trust of society by working cooperatively with attorneys general, regulators, public health officials, and other stakeholders to combat underage use and convert adult smokers from combustible cigarettes,” Finan said.
This is not the first time New York has raised concerns over Juul’s marketing children. State officials took “emergency” action in September and banned flavored electronic cigarettes amid concerns about their widespread use by kids.