Nearly every school district in Utah has joined a mass tort lawsuit against Juul Labs. Park City Schools is the only school district in Utah not involved in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that Juul Labs knowingly used youthful marketing tactics. According to KUTV, the lawsuit also claims the company misrepresented the facts without mentioning that its e-cigarettes are more effective or more addictive than cigarettes.
Juul Labs removed all flavors except tobacco, mint and menthol from its products in 2019 after federal regulators accused e-cigarette makers of using the flavors to lure minors into vaping. That same year, the company announced it was suspending its U.S. print, broadcast and online advertising.
Franz Law Group of California filed mass tort lawsuits on behalf of 700 school districts across the country.
Salt Lake City law firm Kirton McConkie will handle the Utah portion of the lawsuit.
Attorneys Jim Frantz and William Shinoff say Juul Labs sells directly to minors "because we deal directly with minors, disrupting them and getting them addicted, that's really the bare minimum you can do," Frantz said.