Watch CBS News

San Mateo County Schools Sue Juul Labs Over Rise Of Youth Vaping

SAN MATEO COUNTY (CBS SF) -- More than four lawsuits were filed Tuesday against San Francisco-based Juul Labs over its alleged efforts to get youth to smoke electronic cigarettes.

Three suits were filed on behalf of three San Mateo County school districts and a fourth was filed on behalf of the county board of education and the superintendent of schools, plaintiffs' attorney Anne Marie Murphy said.

The school districts include Cabrillo Unified School District, Jefferson Union High School District and San Mateo-Foster City School District.

The suits allege that Juul's marketing strategy, advertising and product design have targeted youth, especially teens and preteens, causing a rise in the use of e-cigarettes by youth. Murphy said school districts are bearing the brunt of the apparent epidemic and that usage is a public health crisis.

Juul spokesperson Ted Kwong responded to word of the lawsuits saying, "Our customer base is the world's 1 billion adult smokers and we do not intend to attract underage users. To the extent these cases allege otherwise, they are without merit."

© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Bay City News Service. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.