Federal lawsuit: Missouri mom says Juul targets teens

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Missouri mother is suing Juul Labs, Inc. in federal court, accusing the electronic cigarette company of developing a marketing strategy that targets teenagers.

The lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City seeks class action status. It contends Juul sought to portray its e-cigarettes as trendsetting and stylish.

The Kansas City Star reports that Juul denies the allegation, saying it never marketed to youth and doesn’t want non-nicotine users to try their products. California-based Juul said in a statement that it launched an aggressive plan last year to combat underage vaping.

Mindy Boyd of Clay County, Missouri, alleges in the complaint that her 14-year-old daughter started vaping with Juul products in 2018. The lawsuit claims the teen became addicted to nicotine and hasn’t been able to quit.

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com