Three New Jersey Teens File Lawsuits Against Juul Labs Over Cigarettes
Over the past few years, e-cigarettes have become popular among young adults, but it seems as though what was said to be a healthier alternative to smoking has its own consequences. State leaders in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are taking action as e-cigarette related illnesses continue to rise nationwide, but now, teens are joining the fight—suing e-cigarette manufacturer Juul—claiming vaping led to addiction and hospitalization.
Court documents reveal 18-year-old Matthew Divello got hooked on vaping in 2017 while a junior in high school.
The lawsuit claims e-cigarette maker Juul “broadly and repeatedly” marketed the device on social media leading to the South Jersey teen’s nicotine addiction, and says the now Rowan University freshman was hospitalized in August for three days, where he dealt with “fever, nausea, and vomiting blood.”
His attorney states, at the time Divello began vaping, Juul had “no warnings about nicotine or risks of addiction anywhere on its packaging.”
As of this week, Divello is one of several South Jersey teens taking legal action against the manufacturer.
Juul said in a statement, “We strongly agree with the need for aggressive category-wide action on flavored products…. and will fully comply with the final FDA policy when effective.”
Meanwhile, Governor Phil Murphy just signed an executive order creating a task force to address the public health threat.
And New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal is launching an investigation into more than a dozen e-cigarette companies.
“One of the areas that we’re looking at is the marketing to children, and that under the consumer fraud act would be illegal,” said Grewal.
Pennsylvania’s health department is also making an urgent warning about the dangers of vaping.
Right now, there are 17 suspected cases in the state, with 30 additional being investigated.
