JUUL E-Cigarette Litigation

TRAVERSE CITY JUUL LAWYER FILING VAPING LUNG AND TEEN ADDICTION CASES

Are you (or is someone you love) addicted to JUUL or suffering from the symptoms of vaping lung? The Traverse City JUUL attorneys at Smith & Johnson are filing cases on behalf of Traverse City individuals who have become addicted to nicotine as a result of JUUL Labs’ targeted marketing effort and individuals who are experiencing the symptoms of vaping lung.

Help us make a difference in this Traverse City epidemic. Join our JUUL lawsuit today! Simply fill out our Instant Case Evaluation on this page and we can tell you instantly if you qualify for inclusion.

TRAVERSE CITY JUUL TEEN ADDICTION LAWSUIT

JUUL, the nation’s leading e-cigarette maker, controls over 70 percent of the market share of vaping devices. JUUL has engaged in a targeted marketing campaign directed at Traverse City’s youth and today that has resulted in an epidemic in Traverse City, all of Michigan, and in the United States.

“JUULing” has become a part of the daily school life of Traverse City’s teens. According to The Ticker, vaping has become such an issue that the Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) is preparing to launch a pilot program that will “put vape detectors in bathrooms and locker rooms at both Central High School and West Senior High. The detectors are connected to school Wi-Fi and are designed to monitor vapor in the air. When a detector senses excess vapor levels, it notifies school administrators, who can then check the area to see if kids are vaping.”

Additionally, the Michigan Department of Health has spent $4 million on a ground-breaking new initiative to prevent and reduce vaping in Michigan school districts. This anti-vaping initiative is designed to change the way school policy treats addicted teens by providing resources to help teens quit vaping and educate teens who have not yet tried JUUL.

JUUL targeted Traverse City teens via social media through the use of young models, bright colors, and tempting flavors like Mango, Mint, and Crème. JUUL is at the center of several consumer lawsuits, one alleging that an Indiana teen who was enticed by the rainbow colors and fruity flavors of JUUL’s e-cigarettes later developed an intense and permanent nicotine addiction.

On September 9, 2019, the FDA sent a warning letter to JUUL CEO Kevin Burns accusing the company of “marketing unauthorized modified risk tobacco products by engaging in labeling, advertising, and/or other activities directed to consumers,” including a presentation given to youth at a school. According to the letter, a JUUL representative make the following statements to students:

• JUUL “was much safer than cigarettes” and that “FDA would approve it any day.”
• JUUL was “totally safe.”
• A student “…should mention JUUL to his [nicotine-addicted] friend…because that’s a safer alternative than smoking cigarettes, and it would be better for the kid to use.”
• “FDA was about to come out and say it [JUUL] was 99% safer than cigarettes…and that…would happen very soon….”

JUUL recently confirmed plans to cut staff and reduce hiring. Due to an increasingly unfavorable U.S. regulatory environment regarding vaping, Philip Morris International recently called off merger talks with Altria, the top investor in JUUL, that would have created a $200 billion global power.

In response to the epidemic of youth now addicted to JUUL, CEO Kevin Burns responded, “I’m Sorry.” Kevin Burns resigned in September 2019 and is being replaced by a Big Tobacco executive – K.C. Crosthwaite.

TRAVERSE CITY VAPING LUNG LAWSUIT

The vaping illness outbreak has now spread to all states and one United States territory, and public health officials continue to report vaping related deaths.

Although it is currently unclear what is causing the outbreak of vaping lung in Traverse City, The FDA has now warned the public to stop using THC containing vaping products and any vaping products obtained off the streets.

As of September 2019, Michigan has confirmed 3 vaping lung illnesses and there are 11 more under investigation.

Even worse, as of October 4, 2019, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) reported that they had seen the first death due to a vaping-related lung injury.

WHAT IS VAPING LUNG?

Vaping Lung lawyers and government agencies are investigating the cause of vaping lung, but today consumers need to be aware of symptoms reported by patients in the vaping lung injury so that they can seek medical assistance immediately. If you, or your loved one, experiences any of the following symptoms, you should refrain from using any e-cigarette, or vaping products and seek medical assistance.

Some Traverse City vaping lung victims have reported their symptoms developed over several weeks while others found symptoms took only days. Traverse City, Michigan vaping lung patients have reported the following symptoms:

• Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• Fatigue, fever or abdominal pain

HOW ADDICTIVE IS JUULING/VAPING?

Medical experts worry that nicotine salts, such as those used by JUUL to make its e-cigarettes, are sentencing young people to a “life of nicotine.” They warn that these substances could cross the blood-brain barrier and lead to learning, memory, and attention problems, and prime young people to become addicted to other substances. The newest generation of e-cigarettes reportedly also have a higher level of nicotine than previous versions, making vaping even more addictive.

If you are a Traverse City teen addicted to JUUL or vaping the Truth Initiative is a great resource in looking for ways to quit JUUL. There is a free, first-of-its-kind, text message program that has been set up to give teens the support they need to quit JUULing. You can access the program by texting “DITCHJUUL” to 88709.

WHAT ARE THE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS OF JUULING/VAPING?

Quitting JUULing and vaping is hard, and it often takes more than one try. The key to giving up is to keep going even when you slip up and to understand the normal symptoms of quitting nicotine versus serious complications. Below are normal symptoms of vaping but, if they continue for long, you should seek medical assistance.

Symptoms of Vaping and JUUL withdrawal include the following:

• Intense cravings for nicotine
• Tingling in the hands and feet
• Sweating
• Nausea and abdominal cramping
• Constipation and gas
• Headaches
• Coughing
• Sore Throat

E-CIGARETTE INDUSTRY UNDER SCRUTINY

Local, state, national, and international regulators are scrutinizing the e-cigarette industry and have also become the subject of scrutiny. U.S. lawmakers recently grilled the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), accusing the agencies of dropping the ball in regulating the vaping industry. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, recently attributed the dramatic increase in teen e-cigarette use and subsequent illness outbreak to a 2017 FDA decision to delay its review of those products.

CONTACT AN EXPERIENCED TRAVERSE CITY JUUL LAWYER TODAY

Smith & Johnson is known to get big city results with small-town values. We are backed by a team of experienced lawyers that are ready to take on JUUL labs and Big Tobacco, but we are also parents and friends of people addicted to JUUL. We are committed to making a difference in this vaping epidemic. If you or your family are battling a nicotine addiction or a lung disease that is related to JUUL or another e-cigarette product, call (231) 946-0700  or fill out our JUUL Instant Case Evaluator and we will get to work helping you file a Traverse City JUUL Lawsuit.