(AP) – An Illinois teenager who fell ill with a lung disease after vaping for over a year has sued a leading e-cigarette maker.
Attorneys filed the lawsuit Friday in Lake County Circuit Court on behalf of 18-year-old Adam Hergenreder.
The 85-page suit says Juul Labs deliberately marketed to young people to suggest vaping can boost their social status. It also says Juul doesn’t fully disclose their products contain dangerous chemicals.
Lawyer Antonio Romanucci says his client couldn’t avoid “getting hooked” on what he called “toxic timebombs.”
San Francisco-based Juul said in a Friday statement it’s “never marketed to youth” and tries to combat underage use.
Hergenreder recently told the Chicago Tribune he started buying THC-filled devices off the street last year.
Vaping companies say blame should be put on illegal devices for a spate of hospitalizations.
Friday’s suit doesn’t directly raise that issue.
