California is suing Juul Labs for allegedly targeting teenagers with its early marketing campaigns and doing so deliberately.
The lawsuit filed Monday by California's attorney general is the most recent legal action taken against Juul, which is the nation's biggest e-cigarette maker. Juul is already being targeted by multiple investigations by state and federal authorities into the possibility the company's early marketing efforts may have led to the current vaping craze among underage users.
"Juul ran big tobacco’s playbook and the results were predictable. Millions of teens and young Americans now use their product," said Becerra during a news conference in Sacramento announcing the lawsuit. "In California, we will not allow kids to be lured in by deceptive practices."
Juul is denying those allegations, and company officials claim they stopped advertising aimed at teens and removed most of Juul's flavored vaping products from store shelves.
The lawsuit from California Attorney General Xavier Becerra also alleges that Juul’s website until recently did not adequately verify the age customers buying the company's products online.