Minnesota and Juul duel

by Maya Betti print editor-in-chief

The trial between e-cigarette giant Juul Labs and Minnesota began on March 27, with the state seeking over $100 million in damages for the supposed role the company played in the rise of youth vaping. The lawsuit, originally filed in 2019, alleges consumer fraud, creating a public nuisance, unjust enrichment and conspiracy. Minnesota added Altria Group, a tobacco industry giant which owned a minority stake in Juul, as a defendant in 2020.

For Juul, this is just a part of the increasing number of legal suits the company has become entangled in. Recently on April 12, six U.S. states and Washington D.C. announced a $462 million settlement regarding the vaping crisis, adding onto the previous $1 billion in settlements the company has already paid to 45 states since 2019. Minnesota is the first state to take Juul to trial instead of settling.

“Big Tobacco is back with a new name — but the same game,” said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison in his opening statement, referencing Minnesota’s former landmark $6.5 billion lawsuit with the tobacco industry in 1998.

Ellison argues that Juul and Altria intentionally marketed their products to minors, using social media influencers and flavored products to entice young people. He also accuses the two companies of downplaying the addictive nature of nicotine and misrepresenting the health risks associated with their products.

Juul Labs has denied the allegations and argues that it has taken significant steps to prevent youth vaping. The company has removed flavored products from the market and has implemented age verification on its website and in retail stores. It also has said it supports raising the minimum age for purchasing tobacco and vaping products to 21.

However, critics argue that such measures are largely ineffective. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in five high school students in the U.S. used e-cigarettes in 2020, making them the most commonly used tobacco products among teens.

With the rising influence of vaping, many people question the effect it will have on the livelihood of young students. “Once they’re hooked they can’t stop and even end up vaping in the school bathrooms,” said senior Theo Moller, a student advocate for The Association for Nonsmokers. “It has such an impact on their focus in school causing a larger impact on their future in the real world.”

Due to marketing techniques used by e-cigarette companies, many teenagers often see vaping as a safe alternative to traditional tobacco. However, with an increase in vaping-related health issues in youth, that narrative could change after the trial, according to junior Siham Abdi. “We [teenagers] don’t know as much about vaping. So, we don’t know, like, the effects and harms of it the same way we do about cigarettes and other substances,” said Abdi.

Health professionals and educators alike look to the trial for a way to ensure that the tobacco industry has a weakened grip on the youngest generation, preventing them from future ailments. “There’s nothing else like it [nicotine],” said Ross Fleming, health teacher. “That’s why you have people who are smokers for 30, 40 years before they finally die — because they can’t get off.”

On April 17, Minnesota finally reached a settlement in its lawsuit against Juul Labs, but the details of the settlement will not be available for 30 days. While it remains to be seen what impact the lawsuit will have on the e-cigarette industry and on the broader public health debate around nicotine addiction, the results of the case could set a new standard for the industry.