Lawsuit against largest e-cigarette maker in US over addictive cigarette content

E-cigarette (Image: Reuters)

Three lawsuits have been filed against the e-cigarette start up Juul Labs, alleging that the company's patented recipe fuelled users’ nicotine addictions instead of tapering it off.

One of these suits has been filed by a mother of a teen who started vaping (the act of smoking an e-cigarette) with the Juul at the age of 15. She says that he 'can't stop it' now and continues to vape no matter what disciplinary actions are taken.

As per the complaints, compounds called nicotine salts are a key ingredient in Juul’s recipe; these are formed in the heat-dried tobacco leaves that are rolled into most cigarettes. These are easier to inhale as compared to free-base nicotine that is commonly found in cigars, pipe tobacco, and many other vapes.

The complaints have been filed at the US District Court in Northern California, the San Francisco Superior Court, and the US District Court in New York.

The researchers also tested how two Juul flavors stacked up against nine other vapes. The findings revealed that the Juul vape juices contained more nicotine and less of that harsh free-base as compared to the other brands. This means that the Juul contained a powerful nicotine punch in a more palatable package.

The three suits have also targeted the branding and marketing strategies of Juul Labs. The suits alleged that the ads targeted the group of customers who are either not regular smokers or too young. However, this goes against the company's claims that fighting underage smoking is one of its top priorities.

A report from The Verge, quoted an email sent to the website from a Juul Labs spokesperson saying that Juul is intended only for adult smokers who want to switch from combustible cigarettes.

She further added that the company will be 'vigorously' defending against the cases as it believes the cases do not have any merit.