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"Because of Juul's deceptive and unfair practices, thousands of North Carolina children are at risk of developing nicotine addiction," Stein said Wednesday. "We must prevent Juul from further spreading this disease and pay for his violations of the law.
"I am taking this step today to keep these products out of the reach of children, to prevent vapors from entering their lungs and to prevent poison from entering their brains," he said. -he adds.
The lawsuit is the first of a state on the alleged marketing of the company to adolescents.
Stein added that the complaint resulted from an investigation opened by his office in October asking for information about the company's sales and marketing practices.
"My investigation revealed two things: first, it was aimed at young people, and second, it misled the public about the potency of nicotine in its products," he said. "You only have to go through the high school car parks in North Carolina to see how Juul is ubiquitous among the young people of our state.
"Juul says his products are for adults, but his business strategy was clearly aimed at young people and minors."
Stein said he was trying to prevent Juul from engaging in "unfair and unfair marketing practices, paying civil penalties and paying back the ill-gotten profits of Juul".
Stein said Juul's 75 percent market share in the e-cigarette market was primarily driven by its use by high school and college students, adding that nearly 17 percent of high school students in North Carolina said they were in school. To be vaping last month. He also cited national figures, published by the US Food and Drug Administration in November, showing that vaping had increased by nearly 80% among high school students and 50% among college students since the previous year.
According to Stein, Juul used social media influencers popular with young people, as well as designing flavors and attractive products for teenagers.
The suit alleges that Juul systematically downplayed his nicotine strength. Stein said that he had entered the market with nicotine concentrations well above what was typical at the time and "minimized the risks".
Juul asserted that his products are not intended for children and are meant to convert former adult smokers. "Although we have not yet considered the complaint, we share the Attorney General's concern about the vaping of young people, which is why we are cooperating with his office and why we have taken the most aggressive measures of anyone in the industry to combat the use of young people, "he said in a statement Wednesday.
Anti-smoking lobbyists applauded the lawsuit.
Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Children, said that "Juul has introduced a smooth, nicotine-rich, sweet-tasting product that he has marketed in forms that, according to a study, were clearly aimed at young people, we applaud the Attorney General Stein for taking the necessary steps to make the necessary changes to protect the children. "
Parents Against Vaping E-cigarettes, a parent-led advocacy group, described the lawsuit as a "bold and necessary action" expected by many parents. "Every day we hear from parents who are desperate for treatment options for their nicotine-addicted children, some of whom are just 12 years old."
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