Massachusetts Governor’s Ban of All Vaping Products Reflects Urgency of Public Health Crisis

On Sep. 24, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker ordered a four-month statewide ban on the sale of all vaping products and declared a public health emergency. The ban, which is the harshest action taken by a state to-date, comes amid rising public health concerns regarding the hundreds of reported cases of vaping-related lung disease and several deaths in the United States. Massachusetts alone has seen at least 61 cases of potentially vape-related lung disease.

This is just one of several recent government actions taken to protect consumers from the deadly health risks linked to vaping. Earlier this month, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter to JUUL for its deceptive, illegal marketing tactics. More specifically, the FDA sent the letter after JUUL representatives made multiple unproven statements about the safety of its e-cigarette products despite not having the legal clearance to do so.

Some statements were made by a JUUL representative at a presentation to high school students, where he claimed that JUUL is a “safer alternative than smoking cigarettes” for nicotine-addicted youth. In the warning letter, the FDA reminded JUUL of the lawlessness of such statements, saying that “companies much demonstrate with scientific evidence that their product does in fact pose less risk or is less harmful. JUUL has ignored the law, and very concerningly, has made some of these statements in school to our nation’s youth.”

On Sep. 19, reports revealed that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched a criminal investigation into the vaping supply chain earlier this summer. As part of the investigation, the FDA is testing over 150 THC and nicotine-containing vaping product samples for toxic substances that could be causing lung disease in vape users. The FDA’s probe will extend across several U.S. states and review the vaping supply chain for potential contaminants. Four days later, it was announced that federal prosecutors in California have launched a separate criminal investigation into JUUL, but the scope of that investigation has not been released.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is investigating at least 530 cases of lung disease and nine deaths related to vaping across 38 U.S. states and one U.S. territory. At least half of the cases being investigated involve patients who are 25 years old or younger. The case count is expected to rise dramatically as the CDC classifies newly reported cases.

These potentially dangerous products have been falsely advertised and may continue to cause harm.  If you seek legal representation in the hopes to be compensated for any injury caused by JUUL Lab products, the attorneys at Sweeney Merrigan Law will work tirelessly to defend you.  Contact our team of Boston defective drug lawyers today for a free consultation.