Nov 18, 2019 - Health

California AG sues Juul for marketing vape products to youths

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced on Monday that the state is suing Juul Labs Inc. for allegedly targeting teenagers with ads for its e-cigarettes and for failing to warn consumers about the potential health risks associated with using its products, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Why it matters: The lawsuit comes just days after Juul announced a $1 billion "recovery plan" that includes cuts to its marketing and government affairs branches, as the company suffers one of its worst years on record.

What they're saying:

“Juul adopted the tobacco industry’s infamous playbook, employing advertisements that had no regard for public health and searching out vulnerable targets. ... Today we take legal action against the deceptive practices that Juul and the e-cigarette industry employ to lure our kids into their vaping web."
— Xavier Becerra said in a statement, according to Bloomberg

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Protests in Beirut. Photo: Maxim Grigoryev/TASS via Getty

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 11 a.m. ET: 19,909,062 — Total deaths: 732,128 — Total recoveries — 12,138,271 — Map.
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  4. Public health: How America can do smarter testing.
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