Authored By: Ollie Lammers

Vaping or e-cigarettes are often marketed as being a safe alternative to cigarette smoking. Juul, is one of the many e-cigarette companies in the growing industry of vaping.

According to The Washington Post, many lawsuits have been popping up against Juul. The Washington Post says, “filings allege the start-up deceptively marketed the Juul as safe and targeted youth from the get-go.”

Victoria Davis, a Juul spokeswoman told the Post in an email that company officials, “do not believe the cases have merit and will be defending them vigorously.”

A nationwide class action suit has been filed against Juul. The 10 plaintiffs range from 14 years old to adult users living in several states, allege Juul caused nicotine addiction in consumers.

The class action also alleges Juul’s marketing campaigns, mostly through social media, targeted youths through social media. Another lawsuit was filed in a New York federal court on behalf of a sophomore high schooler.

As these lawsuits continue the company has been investigated by the FDA accusing the company of marketing towards teenagers.  According to The New York Times, the FDA demanded that Juul Labs turn over documents about the marketing and research behind its products. The documents they also requested included reports on focus groups and toxicology to determine if the company was purposefully appealing to the youth market.

The FDA gave Juul 60 days to prove they can keep their product out of the hands of children. Since the investigation has started the company has drastically changed their marketing. The company has changed many things including their website and asking those who visit their website to verify and agree to verify they are 21 or older.

For more information on these lawsuits click here, for the article by The Washington Post. For even more information on Juul’s marketing click here, for the article by The New York Times.