A federal judge in California has given the green light to advance a class action accusing e-cigarette maker Juul Labs of building a multimillion-dollar electronic cigarette empire by secretly designing a highly addictive product and luring teens to use products with “cool” ads and flavors that would prove appealing to youth. According to a Courthouse News report, in a hearing in San Francisco, U.S. District Judge William Orrick III said the plaintiffs had plausibly alleged that Juul’s advertising campaign had helped the company capture a giant share of the market-beating out established Big Tobacco companies.
Orrick gave his blessing for the case to proceed regardless of whether he later reverses on individual claims. He said that would depend on what the evidence shows. But regardless of such evidence, the judge said, the case will proceed. The class includes 12 adult and minor Juul users who sued the San Francisco-based company in April 2018 for hiding facts about the products’ addictive nature. The complaint also states the products contain three times the legal limit of nicotine allowed by the European Union.
Lawsuit Alleges Misleading Marketing
One study determined that Juulpods, which are essentially cartridges of nicotine solution, contained 6.2 percent nicotine salts instead of the advertised 5 percent. Plaintiffs claim Juul’s devices deliver this high amount of nicotine to the bloodstream even quicker than traditional tobacco cigarettes. They also say this high dosage of nicotine made their addictions worse and made it more difficult for them to kick the habit of using Juul products.
The complaint says Juul targeted teens as well as adults using a “two-prong” marketing approach – one, targeting teens with candy-flavored Juulpods and alluring images showing celebrities and social media influencers using their products. Juul marketed its products to adults telling them that the e-cigarettes would help them quit smoking traditional cigarettes. Plaintiffs say Juul claims its products contain less nicotine and are less addictive than cigarettes. However, studies have repeatedly shown that e-cigarettes can cause significant health issues including lung damage.
Holding Corporations Accountable
If you or a loved one has suffered health effects as a result of using Juul or other brands of e-cigarettes, you may be able to file a class-action lawsuit to seek damages and hold these corporations accountable. Corporations have the responsibility to tell consumers the truth about the products they make and warn the public about the dangers they pose. Our class action lawyers are determined to help those who have been adversely affected by e-cigarettes hold these manufacturers accountable.
Source: https://www.courthousenews.com/e-cigarette-maker-juul-cant-duck-federal-class-action/
