LONG ISLAND, NY- Newsday.com writes that a school district in Long Island is one of three across the country that has filed a lawsuit against Juul, the largest manufacturer of e-cigarettes. The lawsuit alleges that Juul has pushed its products on the school’s students, causing an epidemic-level addiction problem that the school is being forced to […]
LONG ISLAND, NY- Newsday.com writes that a school district in Long Island is one of three across the country that has filed a lawsuit against Juul, the largest manufacturer of e-cigarettes. The lawsuit alleges that Juul has pushed its products on the school’s students, causing an epidemic-level addiction problem that the school is being forced to combat. The school district is claiming that they have been spending time and money to fight the high levels of nicotine addiction among students.
According to the school district, the company has intentionally marketed to teens. The other schools that have filed suits are located in Missouri and Kansas.
The school is alleging that the practice of vaping has caused an increase in suspensions and student absences and has forced the school to install cameras near restrooms and take additional measures in an attempt to prevent students from using e-cigarettes on campus.
While vaping was initially suggested as a safer alternative to smoking, the practice has taken on a life of its own. There are now more than a thousand documented cases of lung illnesses associated with vaping, and new studies are linking the practice to cancer. Earlier this week, officials announced the death of a 17-year-old from the Bronx, which was the result of a lung disease caused by vaping.
Juul has been under scrutiny for its flavored e-cigarettes, which have proven highly appealing to teens. State regulators have been scrambling to develop ways of preventing the company from marketing to young people, including, in some states, banning some of the flavors which are considered most appealing to underage users.