Juul has officially settled more than 5,000 lawsuits in relation to harm caused by their vaping products.
Native American tribes, school districts, as well as individuals and families of Juul users were responsible for bringing the abundance of lawsuits forward. Over 10,000 combined plaintiffs were involved.
The value of the settlements has not been revealed. Juul says an equity investment that they’ve acquired will help to fund it. Just last month, the e-cigarette company revealed mass layoffs.
History of Juul
Juul Labs was founded in 2015 and quickly rose to fame due to their addictive vaping products. Over the past five years, there has been a spiking popularity in vape and e-cigarettes among teens.
According to a survey done by NewsInHealth in 2019, 37% of 12th graders reported vaping the year prior. “Teens are clearly attracted to the marketable technology and flavorings seen in vaping devices,” said Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The popularity of Juul specifically caused the company to be largely blamed for the growth in underage vaping. Parents, politicians and school administrators all publicly attacked the company.
As a result, the e-cigarette makers dropped all of their advertising in the U.S in 2019. It also discontinued most of its flavors the same year. Additionally, in 2019, San Francisco became the first major city in the U.S. to ban both Juuls and e-cigarettes.
Juul Labs’ Future
The future of Juul Labs remains unknown after all of the controversy surrounding the company. Earlier this year, the FDA rejected their application to keep its products on the market. They wanted to market their e-cigarettes as “a smoking alternative for adults.” Furthermore, the Administration backed up their rejection by stating that the vaping company failed to address the potential chemicals that seep from their devices.
Stay tuned to HNHH for the latest updates about Juul and the lawsuits.