North Carolina attorney general files lawsuit against 20 vape companies
On Tuesday, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced a crackdown on e-cigarettes, including another lawsuit against JUUL.
During a press conference, Stein said the $40 million lawsuit he filed in 2019 was just the beginning.
In June of this year, JUUL agreed to pay North Carolina the $40 million and adjust its sales and marketing strategies. Following Stein's lawsuit, other states and school districts, including the Wake County Public School System, have filed lawsuits against the e-cigarette maker.
The settlement will be paid to North Carolina over six years, and the money will be used for programs to help people quit e-cigarettes, prevent e-cigarette addiction and research e-cigarettes.
Now, Stein said he's going after manufacturers, distributors and retailers too -- five of which are in Raleigh. In September, JUUL announced plans to open a research facility in Research Triangle Park, which would be used for scientific research, development and testing.
The facility is expected to open in 2022.
Jensen Abhau recalled JUUL gaining popularity among his peer group the summer before his junior year of high school.
“All of a sudden, out of nowhere, there's this thing called the JUUL," recalled Abhau. "It was this flash drive disk and everyone had one, and if you didn't, you weren't cool."
Abhau admits he was tempted at times.
"You can only have so much discipline. I mean, we’re talking high school here. You really want to be cool just like them," he said.
Stein said on Tuesday that he's suing JUUL's founders and launching an investigation into 20 companies, including 15 vape retail stores, three distributors and one online seller.
"We are particularly concerned with kid-friendly flavors, weak to non-existent age practices and marketing technique and messages that appeal to minors," said Stein.
North Carolina Chief Medical Officer Dr. Betsey Tilson said the flavors attract teens, and using e-cigarettes is causing major developmental damage.
"This frontal lobe, that does a higher level of thinking, executive thinking, problem solving, memory, impulse control," said Tilson.
Abhau said he would have liked to see some of the dangers of vaping highlighted when he was in high school.
"I would think that the last two years would tell you something about your health. It’s very important, so the fact that [vaping] is still happening is baffling, in my opinion," said Abhau.
Stein said his office is working with local school districts about possibly implementing a curriculum for students to educate them on the danger of e-cigarettes.
A spokesperson for JUUL said the company wasn’t commenting on the lawsuit.
