A lawsuit brought by the state of Alaska against JUUL Labs due to faulty processes and Altria Group was dismissed. The lawsuit accuses both companies of significantly increasing vape utilization through marketing strategies aimed at teenagers. The attorney general said he would continue to seek another trial.
U.S. State of Alaska v. JUUL and Ochoa Dismissed
According to Alaska News Source, on December 17, the State of Alaska filed a lawsuit against JUUL Labs, Inc. It was reported and a lawsuit filed by Altria Group, Inc. was annulled due to process errors.
Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor said in a statement that he was disappointed in the verdict. He added that it did not affect the nature of the case and that they were still evaluating options, including another trial.
Attorney General says he will continue to seek legal action
In a subsequent question, the media asked the State Law Department for specific details about the errors in the relevant process and whether the control of the jury was involved. The attorney general responded that the verdict was invalid for procedural reasons. The facts have not changed that youth vaping remains a threat, and the companies involved are also responsible for the harm their products pose to children.
Stefanie Miller. JUUL’s vice president of external affairs said in a statement that it blames Alaska for having the highest smoking rate in China, yet it continues to attack an “American business” that offers alternatives to combustible tobacco. She hopes the efforts of the court and jury will be taken into account instead of pouring resources into events from nearly a decade ago.
The lawsuit went to trial in November and is scheduled to go to trial in December. The first oral arguments began on August 27, 2021. According to former Attorney General Ed Sniffen, who spoke at a press conference on Nov. 24, 2020, the state alleged that JUUL was using marketing tactics that Big Tobacco used in the past and updating them to a digital-age version that included teen social media campaigns and paid “online red” influencers.
The lawsuit further alleges that Altria conspired with JUUL to maintain and expand the teen vape market that JUUL created and tried to cover up its marketing practices targeting teens. According to the 2019 Alaska Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 45.8 percent of Alaska high school students have tried vapes, while 26.1 percent reported using vapes. This is a significant increase since 2017. The state charges that this is a direct result of JUUL and Altria’s youth marketing tactics.
