Teens Love E-Cigs and Now a Leading Manufacturer is Being Investigated for Marketing to Them

E-cigarettes have swept into the culture on a wave of hype and marketing and according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they’ve become the most commonly used tobacco product among middle school and high school students. Now the Massachusetts Attorney General is investigating whether one of the leading e-cig manufacturers, Juul Labs, is violating state law by not preventing teens from buying its products. It’s also looking into whether the company is intentionally targeting minors. 

Many companies promote e-cigarettes as a safer alternative to smoking, claiming the devices may help adult smokers quit tobacco but it’s their appeal to teens that has many people worried.  "For our youth, they're taking the watered-down version of that message: 'Hey, it's safer' and they think, 'I'm gonna try it,'" said Brian Maslowski, who works with students in the Fairfax County, Virginia public school system. Maslowski, who participated in a recent congressional briefing organized by the American Association for Cancer Research, says something has to be done. "It has to be approached from all different aspects because this access, this availability, too many times is a big reason why it's exploded the way that it has."