DENVER — The City and County of Denver filed a 207-page lawsuit in federal court Wednesday alleging that the makers of products like Juul aggressively marketed to youth, something they allege contributed to an uptick in youth vaping in Colorado.
According to a news release from the Denver City Attorney’s Office, the lawsuit will be consolidated with another piece of litigation pending against the San Francisco-based defendants.
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In 2013, only 11% of high school students in Denver had tried e-cigarettes. That number jumped to 40% in 2017, according to the release. Over the ensuing years, the Mile High City “spent significant time and resources [combating] this increase by performing sting operations, by limiting access to vape and tobacco products with the Tobacco 21 Law passed in 2019 and by seeking to develop addiction treatment options for youth,” the city attorney’s office said.
The lawsuit accuses multiple e-cigarette companies of marketing aggressively to youth, and that in ensuing years, Juul’s parent company has “committed its substantial resources, regulatory knowledge and lobbying muscle to protect Juul’s market share.”
Companies have argued they were not marketing to teenagers.
This comes after investigators from 39 states announced they would look into the marketing and sales tactics of vaping companies.
Juul released a statement saying it has halted television, print and digital advertising and eliminated most flavors in response to concerns by government officials and others.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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