Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2023
Multistate youth-marketing settlement
Juul agreed to pay $462 million to settle claims brought by California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and New York alleging youth targeting and violations of consumer-protection laws.
2022
FDA marketing denial orders
The FDA issued marketing denial orders for the Juul System, citing insufficient and conflicting toxicological information in the company’s premarket tobacco applications. The orders were later stayed and rescinded while the agency conducted additional review.
2021
Juul reaches $40 million settlement with North Carolina
Settlement
North Carolina's attorney general announced that Juul had agreed to pay the state $40 million over six years to settle allegations concerning its role in youth vaping and its marketing and nicotine-related business practices. Juul denied wrongdoing and any violation of law.
North Carolina’s attorney general announced that Juul had agreed to pay the state $40 million over six years to settle allegations concerning its role in youth vaping and its marketing and nicotine-related business practices. Juul denied wrongdoing and any violation of law.
Company response
Denial — Juul
As part of the agreement, however, Juul denies wrongdoing or the violation of any laws.
Source excerpt
As part of the agreement, however, Juul denies wrongdoing or the violation of any laws.
North Carolina's attorney general announced Monday that a $40 million settlement had been reached with e-cigarette maker Juul over its alleged role in fueling the "vaping epidemic" among young people.
In 2019 he sued the company for designing, marketing and selling its e-cigarette products to attract young people. He also accused the company of misrepresenting the potency and danger of nicotine in its products.
2021
Harris County files lawsuit against JUUL
Lawsuit filed
The Harris County Attorney filed a lawsuit against JUUL and several company executives, alleging deceptive marketing of addictive products to young people. The lawsuit claims JUUL targeted younger consumers through social media and its “Make the Switch” campaign.
Source excerpt
Cigarette giant Altria is also included in the lawsuit.
HOUSTON – The Harris County Attorney has filed a lawsuit against the e-cigarette company JUUL and several of the company’s executives “for the deliberate and deceptive marketing of its highly addictive and destructive products to young people.”
2021
Juul Labs sues Reeha over alleged counterfeit products
Lawsuit filed
Juul Labs, Inc. filed suit against Reeha LLC in the District of Connecticut, alleging trademark infringement and unfair trading practices involving purported counterfeit Juul products. The allegations are claims in the complaint, not a court determination.
Source excerpt
Plaintiff Juul Labs, Inc filed a suit against defendant Reeha LLC in the District of Connecticut alleging trademark infringement and unfair trading practices on their vaping products for purportedly selling counterfeit Juul products.
Wednesday’s complaint states that “wrongdoers have counterfeited JUUL products by illegally manufacturing, selling and distributing fake, copied, and non-genuine versions of JUUL products and related packaging bearing JUUL trademarks.”
On Monday, JUUL Labs, Inc. filed a complaint in the Central District of California against Redmill Tobacco, Inc. for allegedly selling counterfeit JUUL products in their stores
2020
Arizona Attorney General files consumer fraud lawsuit against JUUL
Lawsuit filed
The Arizona Attorney General's Office filed a consumer fraud lawsuit against JUUL concerning its advertising and sale of vaping devices and pods to Arizonans, including alleged marketing toward youth. The lawsuit alleges deceptive and unfair practices, including targeting young people and misleading consumers about nicotine content.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office filed a consumer fraud lawsuit against JUUL over its advertising and sale of vaping devices and pods to Arizonans, including alleged marketing toward youth. The lawsuit alleges deceptive and unfair practices, including targeting young people and misleading consumers about nicotine content.
Source excerpt
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office’s lawsuit alleges that JUUL engaged in deceptive and unfair acts and practices, including:
announced that his office filed a Consumer Fraud lawsuit against Juul Labs, Inc. (JUUL), regarding the advertisement and sale of JUUL’s vaping devices and vaping pods to Arizonans, including JUUL's exploitative marketing towards Arizona’s youth.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday morning in Maricopa County Superior Court.
2019
Center for Environmental Health marketing settlement
Juul entered a legally binding settlement restricting advertising in media with substantial under-21 audiences, social-media marketing, younger models, advertising near schools and playgrounds, youth-oriented sponsorships, bulk sales, and retailer age-checking practices.
2019
La Conner School District sues JUUL over teen vaping
Lawsuit filed
The La Conner School District filed a lawsuit against JUUL in federal court in Seattle. The district alleged that the company marketed e-cigarettes to minors and contributed to youth vaping and addiction. The action was reported on October 9, 2019.
The La Conner School District sued JUUL in federal court in Seattle, alleging that the company marketed e-cigarettes to minors and contributed to youth vaping and addiction.
Company response
Denial — Altria
Altria said it would defend the Juul deal.
Source excerpt
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Seattle, accuses JUUL and its parent company of marketing e-cigarettes to minors.
The La Conner School District, an hour north of Seattle, is suing JUUL, saying the company has sparked an epidemic of vaping among school-kids.
La Conner district officials said in a prepared statement that they believe JUUL targeted students in "an illegal manner."
2019
Teen sues Juul over alleged marketing to minors
Lawsuit filed
An 18-year-old from Illinois filed a lawsuit against Juul, alleging that the company used social media posts to target minors and marketed its e-cigarettes to young people. The report also states that he had vaped THC obtained from a drug dealer. The lawsuit concerns Juul's marketing practices, while the article additionally notes his use of THC.
An 18-year-old Illinois teenager is suing Juul, alleging that the company used social media posts to target minors and marketed its e-cigarettes to young people. The article also says he had vaped THC obtained from a drug dealer.
Source excerpt
Adam Hergenreder, an 18-year-old from Illinois, has accused Juul of marketing e-cigarettes to young people, and said that vaping has caused him irreparable damage.
Hergenreder has admitted that besides vaping e-liquids purchased from vape shops, he has also vaped THC, which he got from a drug dealer.
A teenager who was hospitalized as a result of vaping unlicensed THC products, is suing Juul, accusing the company of using social media posts to target minors.
2019
Former Juul user sues company over alleged vaping harms
Lawsuit filed
In 2019, former Juul user Connor Evans sued Juul, alleging that the company failed to warn him about vaping dangers and falsely advertised its e-cigarette system as a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes. The report does not state that any determination was made regarding these allegations. The event is recorded as a controversy note concerning the brand Juul, based solely on the filed lawsuit and the claims attributed to the plaintiff.
Source excerpt
Now, he’s suing the popular e-cigarette company claiming it failed to warn him about the dangers of vaping.
According to the lawsuit, Juul failed to “properly assess and warn about the harm that its products cause to the human lungs and body,” adding the e-cigarette brand “falsely advertises its e-cigarette system as a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes.”
A Juul spokesperson said in a statement that Breja’s claims are “baseless” and that he was terminated “because he failed to demonstrate the leadership qualities needed in his role. The allegations concerning safety issues with Juul products are equally meritless, and we already investigated the underlying manufacturing issue and determined the product met all applicable specifications. The company will vigorously defend this lawsuit.”
2019
Juul reaches settlement restricting marketing to minors
Settlement
The Center for Environmental Health and Juul reached a legally binding settlement restricting Juul's marketing practices, including advertising at certain events and using models under 28. NPR reported that the settlement was enforceable in California for a finite period. Juul said the agreement affirmed voluntary practices it already had in place.
Company response
Clarification — Juul
In a statement, Juul told NPR that the company is committed to combating underage use and that this new settlement affirms voluntary practices it already has in place.
Source excerpt
The settlement is technically only enforceable in California and only for a finite period
In a statement, Juul told NPR that the company is committed to combating underage use and that this new settlement affirms voluntary practices it already has in place.
Juul cannot advertise at sporting events or concerts that allow people under the age of 21. No appearances at schools, and the company can't use models in their ads that are under the age of 28.
2019
Montgomery County sues JUUL over alleged youth vaping and consumer protection violations
Lawsuit filed
Montgomery County filed a lawsuit against JUUL in U.S. District Court, alleging that the company contributed to youth vaping and violated state and county consumer protection laws, among other claims. The filing characterizes these as allegations; the source does not report any court determination on the claims. The event is recorded as a legal action brought by the county against the e-cigarette company.
Montgomery County sued JUUL in U.S. District Court, alleging that the company contributed to youth vaping and violated state and county consumer protection laws, among other claims. These are allegations in the lawsuit; the source does not report a court determination.
Source excerpt
The lawsuit claims that the company designed JUUL e-cigarettes and their packaging to appeal to kids and can be easily concealed among their schoolwork and electronics.
The county sued JUUL in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt late last week, claiming violations of the Maryland Consumer Protection Act, Montgomery County Consumer Protection Act, and alleging negligence and unjust enrichment.
The suit alleged Juul violated a number of Minnesota's consumer protection laws, seeks to order them to stop targeting youth and to compensate people for the harms that have been caused.
2019
Federal prosecutors reportedly probe Juul marketing
Investigation
In September 2019, federal prosecutors in California were reportedly conducting a criminal probe into Juul over alleged deceptive marketing practices that targeted minors. The report attributes this information to The Wall Street Journal. The report describes the scrutiny as a criminal investigation into the company's marketing conduct, centered on allegations that the practices were deceptive and aimed at underage consumers. No further details on the scope, status, or outcome of the reported probe were provided in the source account.
Source excerpt
Federal prosecutors in California are reportedly conducting a criminal probe into Juul for deceptive marketing practices that targeted minors, according to the Wall Street Journal.
2019
BIPA lawsuits filed against Juul and WeWork
Lawsuit filed
Juul and WeWork were named as defendants in potential class-action lawsuits in Illinois alleging violations of the Biometric Information Privacy Act's requirements for informing people about biometric-data collection, use and storage and obtaining written consent. The article says no misuse or theft of the information was alleged.
Source excerpt
A pair of companies known for their modern approaches to old behaviors and recent controversy are among the defendants in the latest batch of biometric privacy lawsuits filed in Illinois.
Like most of the multitude of suits filed this year under BIPA, both are potential class actions, and both allege that the requirements under the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act to provide information about the collection, use and storage of biometric data from people, and obtain their written consent were violated.
As is almost always the case with BIPA suits, no misuse or theft of the information is alleged.
2019
Texas woman sues seven e-cigarette companies
Lawsuit filed
An unidentified Texas woman filed a $1 million lawsuit against Juul, Pax, Altria, Evolv Mamasan, Axiocore and Yogi E-liquid. She alleged that Juul's advertising drew her to vaping, that nicotine caused her addiction, and that products from Evolv, Mamasan and Yogi were followed by bronchitis and lipoid pneumonia; she blamed the companies for permanent lung damage and medical costs.
Source excerpt
An unidentified Texas woman has filed a lawsuit against Juul, Pax, Altria, Evolv Mamasan, Axiocore and Yogi E-liquid, KVUE reported.
She claims Juul's ads drew her to vaping, which she took up in March 2018 and blames the high dose nicotine for getting her addicted'. A year later, she switched to using products from Evolv, Mamasan and Yogi and developed bronchitis shortly after. Months later she was diagnosed with lipoid pneumonia. She claims her permanent lung damage and medical costs are the fault of the seven vaping companies, whom she is suing for $1 million
2019
Jefferson County Public Schools sues Juul
Lawsuit filed
Jefferson County Public Schools is suing Juul over its alleged role in a vaping epidemic affecting students. School board members decided to sue on Tuesday.
Source excerpt
Kentucky's largest school district is suing Juul over its role in a vaping epidemic impacting students, school board members decided Tuesday.
2019
New York Attorney General sues JUUL
Lawsuit filed
New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against JUUL, alleging that it used deceptive marketing practices targeting minors, misled consumers, and misrepresented the safety of its products.
Stated objective. To address youth e-cigarette use
Company response
Remediation — Juul
为了应对青少年使用电子烟，Juul启动了一项追踪计划，从明年开始，它将要求零售商扫描顾客的身份证，同时停止销售水果和薄荷味的电子烟产品。
Source excerpt
In its lawsuit, New York alleges that Juul’s marketing of its products downplayed their health risks and used “colorful images of attractive, young models” to appeal to minors.
On Tuesday, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a new lawsuit against e-cigarette company Juul, alleging that the company misled consumers about the risks of vaping through deceptive advertising.
It also alleges that Juul is in violation of public health laws that forbid the sale of tobacco-related products to minors and is seeking civil penalties of $1,000 for each instance of a sale of the company’s products to minors.
2018
Youth vaping and alleged youth-oriented marketing
Juul became closely associated with a sharp increase in youth vaping in the United States. Investigations and public-health criticism focused on colorful flavors, social-media activity, young-looking imagery, discreet hardware, high nicotine concentrations, and alleged weaknesses in age verification.