Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has personally opened his state’s lawsuit against Juul Labs and tobacco giant Altria
David Bernick, an attorney for Juul, promised jurors an “intense and interesting” trial. He said the purpose of Juul was always to convert adult smokers of combustible cigarettes to a less-dangerous product that would still provide a satisfying nicotine experience — not to lure kids. E-cigarettes aren't safe but aren't deadly either, he said; they're somewhere in between.
Juul Labs launched in 2015 on the popularity of flavors like mango, mint, fruit medley and creme brulee. Teenagers fueled its rise, and some became hooked on Juul’s high-nicotine pods. Amid a backlash, Juul dropped all U.S. advertising and discontinued most of its flavors in 2019, losing popularity with teens. Juul’s share of the now multibillion-dollar market has fallen to about 33% from a high of 75% in 2018.
Bernick gave the jury an alternative explanation. Adult smokers don’t like to be seen smoking because of the social stigma, he said. So Juul designed its products to look different from conventional cigarettes and other e-cigarettes then on the market so that adults could use them discretely, he said, not so that kids could use them in school.
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