New York state is the latest U.S. state to sue e-cigarette maker JUUL.
Attorney General Letitia James announced the lawsuit on Tuesday. The suit alleges that the company has used misleading and deceptive marketing for e-cigarettes, which helped popularize the youth vaping epidemic, NBC reported.
James said in a statement that, “There can be no doubt that JUUL’s aggressive advertising has significantly contributed to the public health crisis that has left youth in New York and across the country addicted to its products.”
James added that “By glamorizing vaping, while at the same time downplaying the nicotine found in vaping products, JUUL is putting countless New Yorkers at risk. I am prepared to use every legal tool in our arsenal to protect the health and safety of our youth.”
According to the CDC, as of Nov. 13, there have 2,172 cases of vaping or e-cigarette products associated with lung injury. Forty-two deaths have been confirmed within 24 states.
New York has had somewhere between 100 and 149 cases of lung injury.
The CDC also reports that as of October 15, 79 percent of patients suffering are under age 35. A majority of the patients, 40 percent, have been 18 to 24 years old.
JUUL has responded to the lawsuit and shared a statement that read, “while we have not yet reviewed the complaint, we remain focused on resetting the vapor category in the US 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.”
Besides New York, JUUL was sued by North Carolina in May. On Monday, California sued the company. Massachusetts, Illinois, and other states are also investigating JUUL.
