Attorneys Scott Schlesinger, Jonathan Gdanski, and Jeffrey Haberman of Schlesinger Law Offices represent Erin and Jared NesSmith, a Florida couple in their lawsuit against JUUL Labs, Altria, and Philip Morris, for unlawfully marketing dangerous e-cigarettes to teens. The NesSmiths’ teenage daughter started using e-cigarettes when she was only 14. She did not know then that JUUL contained nicotine. JUUL is designed to look like a USB drive. Like middle and high schoolers around the country, she fell victim to Big Tobacco ads that contain appealing themes to adolescents.
The class-action lawsuit accuses JUUL, the country’s lead e-cigarette maker, and Altria, which owns Philip Morris, the company that makes the country’s most popular conventional cigarette, Marlboro, of violating federal racketeering laws.
Tobacco Companies Prey on Youth
The plaintiffs claim that the JUUL and Altria “prey on youth to recruit replacement smokers for financial gain,” according to an article on Law360. Late last year, Altria announced that it will remove its vaping products from the market in order to help address the youth vaping problem. Yet, at the same time, the tobacco giant acquired a major stake in Juul, which owns roughly 75% of the e-cigarette market. JUUL will now have Altria’s industry infrastructure to sell and promote its e-cigarettes. JUUL will share prime retail real estate next to Marlboro. JUUL will also have access to Philip Morris’ customer database, distribution platform, and lobbyists.
Attorney Schlesinger explained, “Juul has captured a broad segment of the adolescent and teenage market by applying the same techniques historically used by cigarette makers. The companies tell regulators they are not marketing to that vulnerable age group while they simultaneously and knowingly created a massive increase in youth nicotine addiction.”
The Dangers of E-Cigarettes
According to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of teenage tobacco users increased by 1.3 million in 2017. Due to marketing techniques and misinformation, teens do not know the dangers of e-cigarettes, which are designed to create and sustain addiction.
The NesSmiths’ teenage daughter is addicted to nicotine. Her parents, like the FDA and health authorities, are concerned about the e-cigarette epidemic. They seek to prevent Big Tobacco’s continued unlawful youth marketing. These deceptive trade practices ultimately harmed the NesSmiths’ daughter, along with countless other teenage e-cigarette users throughout the country.
Do You Have an E-Cig Injury Case?
Does your child suffer from a nicotine addiction due to the use of the e-cig JUUL? Our attorneys at Schlesinger Law Offices, P.A. can help you seek justice from those responsible. Big Tobacco companies need to be held accountable for targeting teens, and our firm is dedicated to protecting the rights of those harmed by nicotine addiction and other adverse e-cig side effects. If you think you have a case, we want to help.
Contact Schlesinger Law Offices, P.A. today to discuss your case with our firm.
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