NC's Stein first to sue JUUL over marketing to teens

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein has filed a lawsuit against JUUL, an e-cigarette maker, for designing and marketing its product to young people.

In a release, Stein said JUUL's practices have helped create "an epidemic among minors." In 2017, nearly 17 percent of all North Carolina high school students reported using an e-cigarette within the previous 30 days.

North Carolina is the first state to take legal action against JUUL. Stein, who launched an investigation into JUUL last fall, contends JUUL downplayed the potency and danger of nicotine in its products. If proven, JUUL would be in violation of North Carolina’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

“JUUL’s business practices are not only reckless, they’re illegal," Stein said. "And I intend to put a stop to them. We cannot allow another generation of young people to become addicted to nicotine.”

Use of e-cigarettes increased among high-schoolers nationally by 78% and among by middle-schoolers by 48% within the last year. In recent years, public opinion has soured on JUUL amid their growing contribution to the teenage vaping epidemic.