Washington D.C. to Sue Juul Labs

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]W[/dropcap]ashington D.C., along with several U.S. states, is suing Juul Labs, the formerly popular maker of tobacco vaping products, for allegedly targeting minors.

According to The Associated Press, the lawsuit claims that the company illegally targeted minors with their ad campaigns. It also claims that the company misled customers about the amount of tobacco allowed in their flavored pods.

A Juul Labs spokesperson claimed in a statement that the company is opposed to teenage vaping and committed to standing against these issues, and the company also halted all marketing due to legal pressure. The company also closed its social media accounts, tightened up age restrictions and hired a new CEO.

Although Juul Labs became one of the most popular companies for tobacco vaping after its initial launch in 2015, it is now facing major backlash. Allegations against them include claims that the company:

-made unsupported claims that its e-cigarettes are a safer alternative to traditional smoking,

-failed to adequately verify customers’ ages before selling e-cigarettes through its website, and

-failed to implement a “secret shopping” program and other steps touted by the company to deter underage use.

Washington D.C. lawyers also claimed that they sent subpoenas to eight other vaping companies seeking information about their business and marketing practices in order to get information and see if action needed to be taken.

While most experts seem to agree that vaping is healthier than smoking, there are still some debates about how good it is for the one consuming, especially in light of vaping sickness, although those numbers are finally declining. Still, it appears that while Washington D.C. may be lax on cannabis consumption, they are setting strict standards for tobacco vaping. The next year will show how much more Juul Labs will suffer as states and other organizations take action against them.