Over the past few years, the Juul, a type of e-cigarette, has rapidly gained popularity among the youth, namely college students and young adults. The founders of Juul got their start from a Stanford University design thesis. After finishing the design thesis, they started Ploom Inc and a popular marijuana vaporizer called Pax. Ploom Inc’s rights were later sold to Japan Tabaco international. Ploom Inc then became known as Pax Labs and in 2015, released the Juul, a modern designed e-cigarette. A couple years later, Juul becomes its own company and takes off.
The History of Juuls
Since April of 2018, Juul has been under a close watch by parents, lawmakers, and health officials. Marketed as a cigarette alternative, Juul is often perceived to be “healthier” than traditional tobacco cigarettes. The product itself is sold in attractive colors and comes with many flavored nicotine pods that sparked a wave of teen nicotine addiction that has been called an “epidemic” by then-FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb.
One of the most notable events that sparked media attention was the FDA’s crackdown on e-cigarette makers, requesting they submit plans on how they will reduce the number of youths that use their product. They had 60 days to submit this plan and, in the end, proposed taking most flavors off of retail shelves. The FDA has announced that this will be a regulation for all e-cigarettes.
Issues with E-Cigarettes
The Juul e-cigarette has been known to cause potentially fatal health problems, including severe respiratory illnesses, coughs, chest pain, fatigue, vomiting, and fevers among other cases. Not only are Juul users inhaling nicotine, but they are breathing in toxic chemicals that are found in the “e-juice” or “pods”. While this product initially began as a way to allegedly decrease cigarette addiction, no evidence has been shown to support this goal. Even worse, since this product has existed, there are increased risks that teens will turn to regular cigarettes later in life.
The vaping epidemic and rising nicotine addictions will only cause more health problems in the very near future. It is important to hold e-cigarette companies, especially Juul, accountable for marketing their products to young users, causing potentially lifelong addictions.
If you or your loved one has suffered from a Juul related medical case, such as a lung injury or other respiratory condition, you may be eligible to pursue your case to seek damages for personal injury. To get informative legal guidance to know how to proceed with your situation, reach out to the attorneys of Disparti Law Group Accident & Injury Lawyers.
