New York seeks hundreds of millions of dollars in ‘vaping epidemic’ case
Thursday, New York’s top law enforcement official said she would go after 13 of the biggest companies that make, sell, and distribute e-cigarettes for hundreds of millions of dollars in fines for “fuelling the youth vaping epidemic.”
It was filed by Attorney General Letitia James against companies she said were “illegally distributing, marketing, and selling flavoured disposable vapes.”
Her office told the press that she was asking for “hundreds of millions of dollars” in damages for “the havoc these companies’ products and marketing have wreaked on New York’s kids.”
In the past ten years, e-cigarettes have become very famous all over the world. They don’t have tobacco in them; instead, they have a liquid that is usually full of nicotine and is breathed as a vapour.
If you vape instead of smoking, you don’t get the tar, carbon monoxide, or other harmful chemicals that come from smoke.
But the World Health Organisation and anti-smoking groups have said that more research is needed before they will say that vaping is less dangerous than smoking.
James’s office said that penalties would include “damages and restitution for the public health impact of the companies’ illegal actions.” As a result, New York state and US federal laws had been broken.
The state also wanted “the recovery of all revenue made from unlawful activity; and the establishment of an abatement fund to address the youth vaping crisis in New York.”
Companies in New York were selling “highly addictive, candy- and fruit-flavored nicotine products to underage consumers,” and they were lying to customers about how safe their products were.
By making nicotine look cool, the vaping business is copying what Big Tobacco does. This is getting kids hooked on nicotine and causing a huge public health crisis.
The statement said that flavours and names of the drinks, like “Blue Razz Slushy,” “Rainbow Rapper,” and “Strawberry Cereal Doughnut Milk,” were made on purpose “to entice kids.”
It also said that companies were going straight for young people with ads on social media and through influencers, saying that their goods were “safe” alternatives to cigarettes.
New York banned the sale of flavoured vape products in 2020. They also limited the spread of nicotine products and raised the age to 21 for buying any vape.
Vape deals were banned by the state, and some companies were forced to list the harmful ingredients that are in vapes.
The vape companies that are being sued have broken these rules many times and know it.
If the issues outlined in this article are affecting you, please do not hesitate to contact us, and we will do what we can to help you with your situation.