Cancer society applauds class-action against e-cigarette maker Juul

The B.C. Supreme Court has certified a national class-action lawsuit against Juul Labs Canada, Ltd., Juul Labs Inc., and Altria Group Inc. This legal milestone allows the 2019 lawsuit to proceed on its merits, targeting allegations that the companies used misleading marketing to falsely present e-cigarettes as safe alternatives to smoking while conspiring to addict young people to nicotine.

Rob Cunningham of the Canadian Cancer Society noted that this is the first national class-action lawsuit ever certified against a vaping or tobacco company. He emphasized that certification is crucial for accountability, as proceeding with individual cases would be prohibitively expensive for plaintiffs compared to the defendants. The lawsuit follows similar legal actions in the United States and other Canadian provinces regarding the marketing of tobacco products.

In light of the case, the Canadian Cancer Society is calling for stronger government regulations to combat rising youth vaping rates. Proposed measures include restricting flavored vapes, increasing taxation, implementing stricter marketing and sales rules, and raising the minimum legal age for purchase to 21.

(Source：The Globe and Mail)