Skip to main contentIf you or your child have suffered a stroke, seizure or heart attack after using JUUL e-cigarettes, you may be able to fight back.
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They were supposed to be a healthier, less dangerous alternative to traditional cigarettes, even a way to help long-time smokers cut back on the habit. Yet, JUUL Labs and other e-cigarette companies launched aggressive marketing campaigns targeted at teens to promote their products, even focusing on youth-friendly flavors such as mint, crème brulee, mango, and others.
COOL STYLE + PERCEIVED SAFETY + YUMMY FLAVORS = A SURE WAY TO ATTRACT TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS
The marketing tactics of fun flavors plus the “cool” look and safety was a success. Now there is a serious epidemic among teens and young adults. E-cigarette users are reporting dangerous health problems, such as seizures, strokes, and heart attacks, as well as long-term addiction, something the product’s marketing claimed was less likely with an e-cigarette.
The FDA has issued a string of warnings about the danger of e-cigarettes, as well as concerns about how the industry has targeted teens. In 2016, the FDA announced new oversights on all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, that went into effect in 2018. According to the FDA, e-cigarette use in teens has increased from 1.6 percent in 2011 to 16 percent in 2016. The same report further stated that in 2015, approximately three million middle and high school students used e-cigarettes. In 2019, the FDA continued its crackdown on the industry, taking even further steps to restrict the sale of e-cigarettes to minors by issuing a proposal that outlines new regulations for the industry, including making it more difficult for teens to obtain the product.
Not only is the nicotine in e-cigarettes highly addictive (a single e-cigarette pod can contain as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes), there are also very serious concerns over the long-term health effects of aerosolizing nicotine and other chemicals. The additives that e-cigarettes contain — heavy metals, such as nickel, tin and lead, ultrafine particles that are ingested deep into the lungs, and flavorants, such as diacetyl — a chemical linked to serious lung disease – are all a cause for concern.
Although e-cigarettes were said to be created to help people stop smoking (all the while hiding the extensive harmful effects of vaping), JUUL, the leading manufacturer of e-cigarettes, and its competitors conducted intense marketing campaigns targeting youth and young adults who had no history of cigarette use. In fact, the company created campaigns on Instagram and other social media sites that heavily target teens – selling flavors like mango, cucumber, fruit, and creme brulee.
Although some of the e-cigarettes resemble traditional tobacco cigarettes, cigars, or pipes, others are disguised to look like pens or USB memory sticks, adding to their intrigue and ability to be hidden away from unknowing parents.
It’s no coincidence that Altria, the nation’s leading tobacco company, now owns 35% of JUUL Labs. While vaping is a relatively new phenomenon – and we don’t yet know its total damaging affects – we do know that
Nicotine is highly addictive and the toxins in these devices can lead to very serious health problems.
Vaping affects teens’ memory, concentration, learning, self-control, attention, and mood. It also can irritate and damage lungs and lead to an increased likelihood of addiction in the future. Now is the time to take a stand against these manufacturers and to help educate people about the harmful effects of e-cigarettes. Contact us to learn how you can help stop this epidemic.
I, Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service, VADM Jerome Adams, am emphasizing the importance of protecting our children from a lifetime of nicotine addiction and associated health risks by immediately addressing the epidemic of youth e-cigarette use. The recent surge in e-cigarette use among youth, which has been fueled by new types of e-cigarettes that have recently entered the market, is a cause for great concern. We must take action now to protect the health of our nation’s young people.
– 2018 Surgeon General’s Advisory on E-cigarette Use Among Youth
