Washington, D.C. -Today, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, launched the next phase of the youth vaping investigation by sending letters to JUUL Labs, Inc. (JUUL) and Alternative Ingredients, Inc. The Subcommittee requested documents and information about reports that JUUL may have knowingly sold nearly one million contaminated vaping pods.
“These allegations raise concerns due to the current outbreak of e-cigarette-related lung illness for which the cause remains unknown by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)," Chairman Krishnamoorthi wrote. “Our country is in the midst of a youth e-cigarette use epidemic, meaning that any contaminated pods would disproportionately put children at risk."
Reportedly, JUUL knowingly marketed contaminated vaping pods even after concerns about public safety were raised within the company. According to an attorney representing Siddharth Breja, a former JUUL executive, Mr. Breja became aware of “very concerning actions within the company that could be jeopardizing the health of millions of Juul users." Mr. Breja “performed his duty to shareholders, the board, and the public by reporting these issues internally, expecting that Juul’s senior management would do the right thing," the attorney said.
CDC has identified 1,888 cases of lung illness associated with the use of e-cigarette or vaping products in 49 states, the District of Columbia, and one U.S. territory. The outbreak has caused at least 37 deaths in 24 states. As of August 7, 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had received 127 reports of seizures and other neurological conditions caused by e-cigarette use.
CDC's National Youth Tobacco Survey indicates that youth use of e-cigarettes has risen to an all-time high, with 27.5% of high school students reporting e-cigarette use. That is a 32% increase in the past year and a 135% increase over two years.
The Subcommittee requests that the companies produce documents and information regarding the potential hazards of the contaminated pods JUUL distributed by Nov. 20, 2019.
