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Columbus Juul Lawyer filing Vaping Lung and Teen Addiction Cases

Are you (or is someone you love) addicted to Juul or suffering from the symptoms of vaping lung? The Columbus Juul attorneys at Rinehardt Injury Attorneys are filing cases on behalf of Columbus individuals who have become addicted to nicotine as a result of Juul Lab’s targeted marketing effort and individuals who are experiencing the symptoms of vaping lung.

Help us make a difference in this Columbus epidemic, join our Juul lawsuit today! Simply fill out our Instant Case Evaluation on this page and we can tell you instantly if you qualify for inclusion.

Columbus JUUL Teen Addiction Lawsuit

JUUL, the nation’s leading e-cigarette maker, controls over 70 percent of the market share of vaping devices. Juul has engaged in a targeted marketing campaign directed at Columbus’s youth and today that has resulted in an epidemic in Columbus, all of Ohio, and in the United States.

“Juuling” has become a part of the daily school life of Columbus’s teens in Franklin, Delaware and Fairfield Counties. According to the Columbus Dispatch, vaping has joined cellphones as a recurring problem for the school district[1] and Ohio schools have been forced to buy vaping detectors as concerns over e-cigarettes has increased.[2]

The Ohio Department of Health has spent $4 million on a ground-breaking new initiative to prevent and reduce vaping in Ohio school districts. This anti-vaping initiative is designed to change the way school policy treats addicted teens by providing resources to help teens quit vaping and educate teens who have not yet tried Juul.[3]

Juul targeted Columbus teens via social media through the use of young models, bright colors, and tempting flavors like Mango, Mint, and Crème. JUUL is at the center of several consumer lawsuits,[4] one alleging that an Indiana teen who was enticed by the rainbow colors and fruity flavors of Juul’s e-cigarettes later developed an intense and permanent nicotine addiction.

On September 9, 2019, the FDA sent a warning letter[5] to JUUL CEO Kevin Burns accusing the company of “marketing unauthorized modified risk tobacco products by engaging in labeling, advertising, and/or other activities directed to consumers,” including a presentation given to youth at a school. According to the letter, a JUUL representative make the following statements to students:

  • JUUL “was much safer than cigarettes” and that “FDA would approve it any day.”
  • JUUL was “totally safe.”
  • A student “…should mention JUUL to his [nicotine-addicted] friend…because that’s a safer alternative than smoking cigarettes, and it would be better for the kid to use.”
  • “FDA was about to come out and say it [JUUL] was 99% safer than cigarettes…and that…would happen very soon….”

JUUL recently confirmed plans to cut staff and reduce hiring. Due to an increasingly unfavorable U.S. regulatory environment regarding vaping, Philip Morris International recently called off merger talks with Altria, the top investor in JUUL, that would have created a $200 billion global power.

In response to the epidemic of youth now addicted to Juul, CEO Kevin Burns responded, “I’m Sorry”. Kevin Burns resigned in September 2019 and is being replaced by a Big Tobacco executive – K.C. Crosthwaite.[6]

Columbus Vaping Lung Lawsuit

The vaping illness outbreak[7] has now spread to all states and one United States territory, and public health officials continue to report vaping related deaths.

Although it is currently unclear what is causing the outbreak of vaping lung in Columbus, The FDA has now warned the public to stop using THC containing vaping products and any vaping products obtained off the streets.

As of September 2019, Ohio has confirmed 3 vaping lung illnesses and there are 11 more under investigation.[8]

Governor Mike DeWine has called on state lawmakers to pass a ban on most flavored e-cigarettes, saying he was alarmed by a nationwide surge in a sometimes-deadly lung disease linked to vaping nicotine or marijuana e-cigarettes. [9]

What is Vaping Lung?

Vaping Lung lawyers and government agencies are investigating the cause of vaping lung, but today consumers need to be aware of symptoms reported by patients in the vaping lung injury so that they can seek medical assistance immediately. If you, or your loved one, experiences any of the following symptoms, you should refrain from using any e-cigarette, or vaping products and seek medical assistance.

Some Columbus vaping lung victims have reported their symptoms developed over several weeks while others found symptoms took only days.

Columbus, Ohio vaping lung patients have reported the following symptoms:

  • Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain
  • Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
  • Fatigue, fever or abdominal pain

How Addictive is Juuling/Vaping?

Medical experts worry that nicotine salts, such as those used by Juul to make its e-cigarettes, are sentencing young people to a “life of nicotine.”[10] They warn that these substances could cross the blood-brain barrier and lead to learning, memory, and attention problems, and prime young people to become addicted to other substances. The newest generation of e-cigarettes reportedly also have a higher level of nicotine than previous versions, making vaping even more addictive.

If you are a Columbus teen addicted to Juul or vaping, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) can direct you to a facility to assist you with quitting. Places like the Ohio Addiction Recovery Center and Directions for Youth and Families may be able to assist you. https://www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov/locator

In addition, the Truth initiative is a great resource in looking for ways to quit Juul.[11] There is a free, first-of-its-kind, text message program that has been set up to give teens the support they need to quit Juuling. You can access the program by texting “DITCHJUUL” to 88709.

What are the Withdrawal Symptoms of Juuling/Vaping?

Quitting Juuling and vaping is hard, and it often takes more than one try. The key to giving up is to keep going even when you slip up and to understand the normal symptoms of quitting nicotine versus serious complications. Below are normal symptoms of vaping but, if they continue for long, you should seek medical assistance.

Symptoms of Vaping and Juul withdrawal include the following:[12]

  • Intense cravings for nicotine
  • Tingling in the hands and feet
  • Sweating
  • Nausea and abdominal cramping
  • Constipation and gas
  • Headaches
  • Coughing
  • Sore Throat

E-Cigarette Industry Under Scrutiny

Local, state, national, and international regulators are scrutinizing the e-cigarette industry and have also become the subject of scrutiny. U.S. lawmakers recently grilled the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), accusing the agencies of dropping the ball in regulating the vaping industry. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, recently attributed the dramatic increase in teen e-cigarette use[13] and subsequent illness outbreak to a 2017 FDA decision to delay its review of those products.

Contact an Experienced Columbus JUUL Lawyer Today

Rinehardt Injury Attorneys is known to get big city results with small town values. We are backed by a team of experienced lawyers that are ready to take on Juul labs and Big tobacco, but we are also parents and friends of people addicted to Juul. We are committed to making a difference in this vaping epidemic.

If you or your family are battling a nicotine addiction or a lung disease that is related to JUUL or another e-cigarette product, call (419) 529-2020 or fill out our Juul Instant Case Evaluation and we will get to work helping you file a Columbus Juul Lawsuit.

[1] https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190816/vaping-joins-cellphones-as-recurring-problem-for-school-districts
[2] https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190922/ohio-schools-buy-vaping-detectors-as-concerns-over-e-cigarettes-increase
[3] https://www.cleveland.com/politics/2019/09/ohio-announces-4-million-in-new-anti-vaping-initiatives-aimed-at-youth-parents.html
[4] Shari Rudavsky, Lawsuit says JUUL lured in Carmel teen with candy flavors, bright colors and nicotine, 2019 < https://www.indystar.com/story/news/health/2019/08/27/juul-teen-vaping-lawsuit-nicotine-addiction-youth-social-media-candy-flavor-irritable-headaches/2129949001/> [accessed 30 September 2019].
[5] FDA Warning Letter, JUUL Labs, Inc., 2019 https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/juul-labs-inc-590950-0909201?> [accessed 30 September 2019].
[6] https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2019/09/25/juul-ceo-resigns-altria-philip-morris-end-merger-talks-firstmove.cnn
[7] Outbreak of Lung Injury Associated with E-cigarette Use, or Vaping, 2019 < https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/severe-lung-disease.html> [accessed 30 September 2019].
[8] https://www.cleveland.com/politics/2019/09/ohio-confirms-3-severe-lung-illness-cases-after-vaping-11-more-under-investigation.html
[9] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-vaping-ohio/ohio-governor-calls-on-lawmakers-to-ban-flavored-vaping-products-idUSKBN1WG4NX
[10] Allison Aubrey, If E-Cigs Were Romaine Lettuce, They’d Be Off The Shelf, Vaper’s Mom Tells Congress, 2019 < https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/09/24/763968586/if-e-cigs-were-romaine-lettuce-theyd-be-off-the-shelf-vapers-mom-tells-congress> [accessed 30 September 2019].
[11] https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/quitting-smoking-vaping/how-quit-juul
[12] https://www.healthline.com/health/smoking/nicotine-withdrawal
[13] Elijah Shama and Angelica LaVito, Congress grills FDA for dropping the ball on vaping even as teen use surged, 2019 < https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/25/congress-grills-fda-for-dropping-the-ball-on-vaping-even-as-teen-use-surged.html> [accessed 30 September 2019].

Juul Lawsuits in Columbus, OH

Rinehardt Injury Attorneys is the answer to your personal injury. Our team of attorneys and case managers have represented clients in in Columbus and throughout central and north central Ohio for years. We treat every new client as if they were part of our family by providing clear communication, building a strong relationship, and using our experience to provide legal guidance that’s in their best interests. We offer free consultations with no obligation, so don’t hesitate to contact our team about your legal matter.

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8351 N. High St, Ste 251,
Columbus, OH 43235
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