Boulder County Latest To Join Governments' Lawsuit Against Juul

BOULDER COUNTY, CO — Boulder County Commissioners have chosen to join a federal multi-district lawsuit against Juul Labs Inc. and any associated parties "related to manufacturing, marketing, and sales of electronic cigarettes designed to appeal to minors," Boulder County officials announced Tuesday.

The commissioners said Juul manufactures and sells e-cigarettes that are "designed specifically to appeal to minors" with "slick marketing and a robust social media campaign."

Teenagers in Colorado, and Boulder County in particular, have some of the highest rates of nicotine use in the nation. Nicotine in e-cigarettes is a known addictive, psychoactive neurotoxin that poses a potent threat to the adolescent brain, Boulder County health officials said.

More than 200 lawsuits have been filed against Juul Labs. Boulder County is represented by the law firm Keller Rohrback, which also represents many other governmental entities in the lawsuit.

"As community leaders, we feel it is essential to take a stand against Juul’s practices of promoting the use of their tobacco products to young people in our community," the Boulder County commissioners said in a joint statement. "We are hopeful that the outcome of this lawsuit will allow us to more fully respond to the impacts of e-cigarettes on Boulder County youth now and into the future."

Patch reached out to Juul Labs for comment but did not immediately hear back.

The U.S. Surgeon General, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary have all pointed to Juul Labs' e-cigarettes as a primary cause of what many health officials call a "nicotine epidemic" among youth. Vaping has now been linked to conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and even seizures. At least 47 deaths across the country have been linked to vaping, according to the latest federal data.