Commonwealth of Virginia
Office of the Attorney General
|
Mark Herring |
202 North Ninth Street |
For media inquiries only, contact:
Charlotte Gomer, Press Secretary
Phone: (804)786-1022
Mobile: (804) 512-2552
Email:
ATTORNEY GENERAL HERRING INVESTIGATING JUUL LABS
~ 39-state coalition is investigating JUUL's marketing and sales practices, claims regarding nicotine content, and statements regarding the risks, safety, and efficacy as a smoking cessation device ~
RICHMOND (February 25, 2020) – Attorney General Mark R. Herring today announced that he has joined a bipartisan, multistate investigation of JUUL Labs. The 39-state coalition is investigating JUUL's marketing and sales practices, including the targeting of youth; claims regarding nicotine content; and statements regarding the risks, safety, and efficacy as a smoking cessation device.
"The number of young people in Virginia and across the country who are vaping or using e-cigarettes is truly a public health crisis. While we have made great strides in reducing the number of young people who use more traditional tobacco-based products, we are now, unfortunately, seeing the number of Virginia teens vaping and using e-cigarettes climb at an alarming rate,” said Attorney General Herring. "Nicotine can have seriously negative affects on the developing brain, which is why it is so important that we keep all tobacco-based products out of the hands of young people. This investigation is just one of the many approaches we must take as a society to stop this growing youth vaping epidemic.”
While traditional cigarette use has plummeted among youth, vaping and e-cigarette usage is skyrocketing, undermining national progress towards reducing youth tobacco usage. According to the Virginia Department of Health, in 2017 teen cigarette use in Virginia was at an all-time low at 6.5 percent, but at least 11.8 percent of teens said that they currently vaped or used e-cigarettes, and that number continues to rise. Additionally, young people who vape or use e-cigarettes are six times more likely to begin smoking traditional cigarettes. The National Youth Tobacco Survey conducted 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 or vaping within the past 30 days, up from 3.6 million just one year prior.
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