Juul bought ad space on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, lawsuit claims
In a new lawsuit, Juul is accused of advertising to young children looking online. Mock up ads of young-looking models fashionably holding Juul devices were uncovered by Massachusetts prosecutors, who said the e-cigarette company explicitly targeted teens.
"A Juul customer service rep even told underage customers in Massachusetts how to get around our laws," said Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey.
According to the lawsuit, Juul rejected a marketing proposal targeting adults. Instead, the company adopted a campaign targeting a "cool crowd." Juul also bought ad space on youth-focused websites, including Nickelodeon, the Cartoon Network and seventeen Magazine.
At Wednesday's press conference, 19-year-old Emma Tigerman talked about her Juul addiction.
"Unfortunately, I will have to consider myself an addict for the rest of my life and that is at the hands of Juul," she said.
Juul has eliminated the sale of fruit-flavored pods. In a statement to CBS News, Juul said "we have not yet reviewed the complaint," but added they are "working to combat underage use." It also says their customer base is "adult smokers."
Massachusetts' attorney general is the ninth to sue Juul. E-cigarette companies have a May 12 deadline to apply to the Food and Drug Administration to continue selling their products. That review is expected to take a year.
Disclosure: Nickelodeon is a division of ViacomCBS.