FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM NOVEMBER 28, 2019 • THE QUEENS COURIER 17
Attorney General Letitia James sues JUUL Labs for targeting New York kids to vape
BY TODD MAISEL
New York Attorney General Letitia
James launched a far-reaching lawsuit on
Tuesday against JUUL Labs for deceptive
marketing practices targeting teenagers
to buy electronic cigarettes and vaping
products.
“JUUL contributed signifi cantly to the
rising national vaping crisis,” James said
during her Nov. 19 announcement at
her Manhattan offi ce. New York joins
California and North Carolina in suing
JUUL, which controls 60 percent of the
vaping market.
Th e lawsuit alleges that “JUUL took a
page from Big Tobacco’s playbook,” as
James described it, engaging in deceptive
business practices targeting young people
with various marketing and advertising
tactics such as advertisements featuring
young models and social media campaigns.
It is also alleged that JUUL illegally
sold products over the internet to minors.
Th e case, in the making since 2018,
has taken on more urgency, according to
James, who pointed to the number of kids
were using vaping products and getting
sick with lung ailments.
“We have a 17-year-old from the Bronx
who is now dead from vaping – the youngest
fatality in the U.S.,” James said. “JUUL
has contributed greatly to the crisis by
glamorizing vaping with deceptive advertising
and marketing to young people and
now countless New Yorkers are at risk.”
As of Nov. 13, New York state law makes
it illegal to sell nicotine products, including
e-cigarettes, to anyone under 21 years
old (the previous minimum age was 18).
Th is past September, Governor Andrew
Cuomo announced he was seeking to outlaw
the sale of any fl avored vaping products,
except for menthol, to anyone due
to the potential health hazards associated
with vaping.
Th e City Council is also preparing a bill
that would make it more diffi cult for children
to get vaping products and will place
restrictions on sale.
James’ suit seeks a permanent injunction
against JUUL from “engaging in
fraudulent practices.” In addition, the state
wants JUUL to pay into an abatement program,
as well as civil penalties of $5,000
per instance of deceptive practices.
Th e lawsuit also seeks reimbursement to
the state for health costs and an accounting
of their profi ts to “disgorge earnings
from the deceptive practices.” She said
that should the company fi le bankruptcy,
they will “seek remedies in court.”
As for other companies engaged in selling
vaping products, she said that anyone
who tries to fi ll the vacuum that may be left
from JUUL, will “face the same remedies.”
“Only 3 1/2 years ago, there was nothing,
and now we have a problem of monumental
scale,” James said. “Now you can
go into schools and your are hard pressed
to fi nd any kids that haven’t tried it and it
is now interfering with school days.”
She was accompanied by anti-smoking/
vaping advocates and a school principal
from East Hampton. Principal Adam
Fine said he estimates that 60 percent of
his school, 650 of 900 students, currently
using vaping products. He said numerous
students are having vaping products
seized in school and “since the fi rst day of
school, my assistant principals are working
every day with vaping problems and
we are fi nding kids are addicted to the nicotine
and they are also coming forward.”
Matt Myers, president of the Campaign
for Tobacco Free Kids, said the vaping
epidemic is “a major health crisis” and he
called for stricter laws and more lawsuits
to stop the deceptive practices of JUUL
and others to sell the products.
“Th ese companies have caused harm
and problems with their deceptive business
practices and it must be stopped,”
Myers said.
Photo by Todd Maisel
State Attorney General Letitia James announced
a far reaching lawsuit against JUUL Labs, the
vaping pen and products company, for deceptive
advertising and targeting children.
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Photo by Todd Maisel
Principal of East Hampton High School Adam
Fine is left scratching his head as to how to deal
with the vaping epidemic.
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