Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich on Tuesday announced his office filed simultaneous Consumer Fraud lawsuits against Juul Labs, Inc. (JUUL) and Eonsmoke. The suits were filed against both companies for their advertisement and sale of vaping devices and vaping pods to Arizonans, including their exploitative marketing towards Arizona’s youth.
“I am committed to doing everything I can to help combat the dangerous trend of youth vaping,” said AG Brnovich. “Speak to any parent or student who has stepped foot on a high school or middle school campus recently and they will tell you teen vaping is an epidemic. Millions of children are hooked on nicotine, enticed by youth-friendly flavors and targeted advertising. You can’t flout the law by selling illegal products and not be held accountable.”
The United States Surgeon General has described youth e-cigarette use as an “epidemic,” and the former United States Food and Drug Administration Commissioner has pointed to JUUL as a significant cause of the problem.
Youth vaping now dramatically outpaces youth cigarette use nationally and in Arizona.
“JUUL updated Big Tobacco’s playbook and helped create the perfect storm for a new youth epidemic, explained Brnovich “JUUL enticed interested minors through advertising, lured kids in with flavored vaping products, and then hooked a new generation of youth to addictive nicotine. Vaping companies that engage in irresponsible and misleading marketing efforts must be held accountable for exposing Arizona youth to nicotine and the addiction that follows.”
Brnovich continued, “Great strides have been made to dramatically reduce youth smoking and access to nicotine products in the past twenty years. Up until recently, our office has seen the fail rate of illegal tobacco and nicotine-based product sales to youth statewide drop below ten percent for the first time in part thanks to our retail enforcement efforts. However, the recent vaping explosion among youth is a clear sign that this positive trend is now swinging dramatically in the wrong direction.”
The lawsuit against JUUL seeks injunctive relief against the company, disgorgement of profits, and penalties of up to $10,000 for each willful violation of the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act.
The lawsuit against Eonsmoke is accompanied by a request for a preliminary injunction against Eonsmoke to shut down sales of illegal vaping products immediately. The lawsuit also seeks a permanent injunction against Eonsmoke, disgorgement of profits, and penalties of up to $10,000 for each willful violation of the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act.
