Delaware’s Department of Justice has joined a multi-state investigation of Juul Labs, Inc., makers of e-cigarettes popular among teens.
DOJ officials say the 39-state coalition is examining the company’s marketing and sales practices — including targeting youth. The investigation will also look at the company’s claims about nicotine content and the safety of e-cigarettes.
In a statement, Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings warned e-cigarettes threaten to erode progress made on educating kids and adults on the “dangers of tobacco.”
"The explosion of vaping should concern all of us, particularly when it comes to our kids—who are the first generation in decades to see more ads for nicotine products, not fewer," she added.
State public health officials reported more than a dozen cases of vaping-related illnessin Delaware this fall — including one death.
According to a studypublished in the scientific journal JAMA last fall, the percent of high schoolers who reported vaping nicotine in the past month more than doubled nationally between 2016 and 2019.
