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A 39-state coalition is investigating “JUUL’s targeting of the youth market, as well as the company’s claims regarding nicotine content and statements regarding the risks, safety and effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation device,” New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said.
“As a father myself, I am deeply troubled by the soaring popularity among young people of vaping products in general and of JUUL’s products in particular,” Grewal said.
Traditional cigarette smoking is now running on fumes while the use of vapes is “skyrocketing” among young people, “leading them to a lifetime of addiction to nicotine,” State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said.
Authorities on Tuesday pointed to the tale of the vape: Of more than 4,000 New Jersey high school students (grades 9 through 12) surveyed recently by Rutgers University, nearly 90% said they’d used JUUL e-cigarettes.
Use of the brand is so prolific that many young users surveyed refer to “JUULing” instead of vaping, the study found.
It also suggested that JUUL’s appeal may come in large part through its “discreet design” – making it possible to palm a vape to conceal it.
It’s not all smoke and mirrors. Nationwide, the Rutgers study notes, JUUL held more than 70% of the branded vape market by fall 2018, up 25% over the year before.
The National Youth Tobacco Survey -- conduct by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control in 2019 -- found more than 5 million youth reported having used e-cigarettes within the past 30 days, up from 3.6 million the prior year.
Authorities say there's justified cause for concern. Last October, New Jersey reported its first vape-related death.
Selling vapes or vape products to anyone under 21 in New Jersey is illegal.
“E-cigarettes are not safe for anyone, especially our youth,” Persichilli explained. “They contain harmful chemicals and cause serious lung damage, as we’ve seen in more than 100 hospitalizations since last summer.”
Most users are enticed by flavors such as bubble gum, mint, fruit loop and cotton candy, studies show.
For that reason, it became illegal to sell flavored vape products in New Jersey.
JUUL recently stopped selling flavors other than tobacco and menthol, but Grewal said that hasn’t hurt its popularity.
“We’re taking a hard look at JUUL’s marketing of its vaping products, including its targeting of young people, and will ensure that any unlawful practices come to an end,” the attorney general said. “Both its current and historic practices remain under scrutiny.”
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