Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has filed a lawsuit against Juul Labs as part of his fight against e-cigarettes.
Raoul, who filed the complaint in Cook County Circuit Court on Dec. 12, said in a press conference that while the entire country has been affected by the e-cigarette epidemic, Illinois has been identified as a more severely impacted state.
"I’m concerned about the impact of this epidemic," Raoul said at the press gathering that was attended by numerous health care professionals supporting the attorney general's actions. "If you visit the high schools and middle schools in our neighborhoods, they’re now referring to the restrooms as vaping rooms. This can lead to minors using other forms of tobacco and even beyond tobacco."
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul
Raoul's lawsuit is filed under the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act and alleges that Juul Labs target their products to minors, misrepresented the potency of nicotine in the devices and misrepresent their ability to help people quit smoking tobacco.
"Let’s be clear, the lawsuit is one part of a multifaceted approach," Raoul said. "We're also focusing on policy changes that will build on what we’re doing today. This must be part of a comprehensive solution. Today we’re starting with Juul."
The lawsuit alleges that Juul targets minors with, among other things, a sleek physical design to its product. Raoul says the instructions are not the words of a company trying to help people kick an unhealthy habit but instead are the words of a company trying to entice people into starting a new habit.
"Even their instructions on how to get started implies they are targeting non-smokers," he said at the press conference.
Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike says the state is dealing with two separate but related public health issues involving vaping.
"Over the past few months, everyone has heard about the vaping lung injuries," Ezike said at the press conference. "The second, equally critical public health matter concerns the youth of the state. This is a growing epidemic."
Ezike says flavored products seem to be a particularly strong pull.
"We must change the narrative of the usage," Ezike said. "I applaud any and all efforts to protect youth in Illinois from nicotine addiction. I stand with the attorney general's office to promote initiatives to protect youth."
"We absolutely have a dangerous vaping problem," former Illinois Academy of Family Physicians president Dr. Javette Orgain said at the press conference. "Despite urgent calls, federal action remains stalled. Menthol is and was the hook that got people started. We are seeing the same thing we saw with tobacco now with Juul. It is not a safe alternative. There is no safe level of nicotine and aerosol can damage your DNA and respiratory system. We need to work to break the cycle of nicotine addiction."
Dr. John Klein, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Illinois-Chicago, says Juul markets its products to teens as being easy-to-hide and a way to smoke undetected.
"The levels of addiction with these are beyond what we've seen with combustible cigarettes," Klein said at the conference. "Menthol and mint are the most addictive. It is time Juul is held accountable."
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