Personal Injury Claims Among Friends & Family: A Delicate Situation
Posted in: Ohio Personal Injury
KNR Legal Blog
Many people, teens included, have picked up and tried a JUUL despite not being smokers. They may have seen advertisements implying JUUL is a smoking alternative or a tool to help them quit smoking. Because of the company’s marketing campaigns, they may believe using a JUUL is healthier than smoking a pack of cigarettes. Yet, despite the differences between JUUL and traditional cigarettes, JUUL is still a nicotine delivery system. New smokers who use JUUL are becoming addicted to nicotine and suffering serious injuries.
If you or your minor child became addicted to nicotine after using JUUL, reach out to Kisling, Nestico & Redick. Our defective product lawyers have represented many minors and young adults who became addicted to nicotine while believing JUUL was safer than cigarettes.
To schedule a free consultation of your case, contact us today at 1-800-HURT-NOW.
One of JUUL Labs’ main marketing propositions is that its product is better for adult smokers compared to traditional combustible cigarettes. The company repeatedly uses the words “quit” and “switch” in its advertisements.
Though advertising may not come out and say it, JUUL Labs’ marketing campaigns routinely give consumers the impression the tool can help individuals quit smoking. The mission statement on the JUUL Labs’ website states, “we envision a world where fewer people use cigarettes, and where people who smoke cigarettes have the tools to reduce or eliminate their consumption entirely, should they so desire.”
If individuals switch, they will be using a better alternative – better as in healthier or safer than combustible cigarettes. These health claims have caught the eye of federal and state lawmakers who are concerned the company is using advertising tactics similar to what Big Tobacco used decades ago.
Congress conducted committee hearings on the matter and found the company’s marketing efforts and health claims have not been limited to targeting adults. Two high school students testified before a Congressional committee that a JUUL representative presented JUUL products as healthier during a school seminar.
But is JUUL really healthier, safer, or better than smoking traditional cigarettes? E-cigarettes are still new enough that research on the long-term health effects is limited. But what is not in question is that these nicotine delivery systems are just as addictive as cigarettes, if not more.
JUUL is an e-cigarette that uses nicotine salts (protonated nicotine) derived from leaf-based tobacco instead of free-base nicotine in its JUUL pods. Each JUUL pod is said to be the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes.
The fact that JUUL uses protonated nicotine is important. This form of nicotine is said to provide a more pleasant smoking experience. In other words, it is easier to inhale the vapor. Free-base nicotine is known as giving a scratchy or harsh feeling in the back of the throat. New and young smokers who are not used to inhaling may acclimate to smoking a JUUL faster than smoking cigarettes.
Not only is a JUUL easier to smoke than cigarettes or even other e-cigarette products, it also provides a high dose of nicotine each use. When it launched mid-2015, JUUL was advertised as two times the nicotine of other e-cigarette products.
JUUL has made it easy for individuals to smoke and intake nicotine. Nicotine stimulates the nervous system by releasing hormones and neurotransmitters, including epinephrine and dopamine. It is because of these smokers feel a pleasant sensation. Very quickly, the body becomes dependent on the nicotine, and it takes imbibing a greater amount to feel the same pleasurable experience. This is why nicotine users become addicted and will smoke more and more over time.
Though JUUL might claim or insinuate that it is a better alternative to smoking cigarettes, it is no less addictive. JUUL is a nicotine delivery system, and it offers a high dose of nicotine in an efficient and pleasant manner. Because of this, people who were never smokers before can quickly become addicted after being introduced to JUUL.
If you or your minor child became addicted to nicotine after using a JUUL, call Kisling, Nestico & Redick at 1-800-HURT-NOW, or reach out online to schedule an initial consultation of your case.