JUUL Injury Lawyers
Vaping and e-cigarettes have become popular in recent years as an alternative to traditional cigarettes for smokers. JUUL is one brand of vaping devices that has developed such a strong following that it spawned the use of the term juuling to describe vaping with JUUL products. Juuling is a popular activity with teens, which has led to concern by the US Food and Drug Administration. In fact, vaping is being called an epidemic with growing concern about the health risks.
What is JUUL and Is It Safe?
JUUL is a vaping device, which includes cartridges of oil that heat up. It is quite small, about the same size as a flash drive and about as thin. It is also able to get a charge from a laptop USB port, which enhances the image.
According to the manufacturer, JUUL devices are designed for people who smoke and want to stop using tobacco. It was originally created with cartridges of different flavors, including menthol and fruits. At one time, buyers could choose from fun flavors like cool cucumber, cool mint and mango along with menthol. It became the best-selling product in the vaping market. They were found in convenience stores and online.
The safety of JUUL devices is debatable. The manufacturer has made claims that the devices are safer than traditional cigarettes, but the claim cannot be substantiated by data. While there is less tobacco in JUUL products than in regular cigarettes, there is as much nicotine in one cartridge as in an entire pack of cigarettes.
Other chemicals are included in e-cigarettes, which can cause lung damage. Some of the ingredients are menthol, acrolein, formaldehyde and diacetyl. Damage to the lungs is irreversible.
Another concern that parents and other people have about vaping devices is the risk for the person to become addicted. Nicotine is known to alter the chemistry of the brain, which can lead to dependency. Some studies have shown that teens and young adults who start out vaping move on to cigarettes and other drugs.
Concerns About JUUL and Health Risks
Even though JUUL claims the goal is to sell to adult smokers who want an alternative, many feel the advertising was geared towards teens and young adults. Ads made it look cool to vape while the design of the device allowed it to be easily concealed even on school property. Even YouTube videos exist to teach people how to vape.
One marketing tactic JUUL used was to call their device the iPhone of e-cigs, which made it look like an exclusive product. Even though warnings of the dangers of JUUL exists, many teens overlook this information in favor of the cool image.
Studies show that vaping has increased over the last few years quite dramatically. While these devices are legally only able to be purchased by adults over 18 years old, people younger than that gain access by shopping online with fake IDs and through friends buying for them.
Side Effects
JUUL products do come with side effects. Nicotine is an addictive component, which is one of the biggest risks in juuling. One of the biggest concerns is that JUULs are gateway products, which means they lead to other drug use. Studies show that people who use nicotine are at a greater risk of using cocaine and heroin later.
Another major concern is that vaping causes the lungs and airway to become inflamed. They are at a greater risk of developing pneumonia. Other side effects come from the high amount of nicotine present in the devices. These side effects include the following:
- Asthma
- Emphysema
- Chronic bronchitis
- Gum disease
- Increased heart rate
- Heart disease
- Certain types of cancer
- Sudden infant death syndrome
- Premature birth
- Peptic ulcers
- Erectile dysfunction
Nicotine poisoning is another concern because of the high amount of the chemical these devices contain. It can lead to a seizure. While no studies on vaping and seizures have been done, seizures have been listed as a adverse health effect from e-cigarettes by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Along with seizures, other adverse health risks listed include lactic acidosis and anoxic brain injury.
Nicotine poisoning can cause symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, tremors, headache, seizures and depression. It requires immediate medical attention as you would with any poisoning situation.
Why JUUL is Involved in Lawsuits
Lawsuits are being filed against JUUL because many people believe the company is liable for adverse reactions caused by vaping with the devices. For instance, one young adult suffered from a hemorrhagic stroke due to vaping two JUUL cartridges every day, which is the same amount of nicotine as in two packs of cigarettes. He started juuling when he was in high school and the addiction became so bad that he was vaping every ten minutes. He had to go through three brain surgeries and suffered paralysis on his left side with a partial loss of vision. Charges made against JUUL include negligence, misrepresentation of products and fraudulent concealment.
Other cases have been filed by parents who claim JUUL intentionally promoted to teens. As more research is done into the long-term effects of JUUL devices, more people may come forward with cases against the manufacturer.
To hold a manufacturer responsible, the claimants must prove they were fraudulent in not telling of the dangers of using the product or negligent by promoting to underage users. They may also be held responsible for intentionally misrepresenting the facts about their products. Claims made that say JUUL devices are safer than traditional cigarettes are one way of misrepresenting those facts. The FDA sent a letter requiring JUUL Labs to change advertising that claimed their products were safer because they didn’t have the data to back up the claims.
If you or a loved one has suffered negative effects from JUUL vaping devices, you may be entitled to compensation for your loss. As more people come forward and more cases go through the court system, it may pave the way for others to receive the compensation they deserve. Manufacturers of vaping devices must be held liable for irresponsible advertising and for marketing to an underage target market.