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Minnesota Suit Against E-Cigarette Maker Juul Goes To Trial

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(MINNEAPOLIS) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is set to make the opening statement in his state’s lawsuit against Juul Labs on Tuesday, marking the first time any of the thousands of cases against the e-cigarette maker over its alleged marketing to minors will be heard in a courtroom.

In 2019, Minnesota filed a lawsuit against Juul, claiming the San Francisco-based firm illegally targeted young people with its products to make a new generation addicted to nicotine. Ellison has refused to specify how much money the state seeks in damages and civil penalties. However, upon announcing the action, he said it might be in the ballpark of Minnesota’s historic $7.1 billion settlement with the cigarette industry in 1998.

Juul has faced thousands of lawsuits nationwide, but most have settled, including 39 with other states and U.S. territories. In 2020, Minnesota added tobacco industry behemoth Altria, which previously owned a minority stake in Juul, as a co-defendant. Altria completed its divestment earlier this month and claimed to have lost its $12.8 billion investment. Altria announced a $2.75 billion investment in rival electronic cigarette firm NJOY a few days later.

“We will demonstrate how Juul and Altria misled and hooked a generation of Minnesota youth on their products, causing both great harms to the public and great expense to the State to remedy that harm,” Ellison said.

The jury trial will run three weeks before Hennepin County District Judge Laurie Miller. The landmark 1998 lawsuit by the state and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota against the big cigarette companies took roughly four months.

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Juul has faced thousands of lawsuits nationwide, but most have settled in Minnesota

This lawsuit resulted in the release of millions of pages of previously secret industry papers and a $7.1 billion settlement soon before the state’s closing statements. Part of the money was used to fund anti-smoking programs, but Juul and Altria pointed out in court filings that lawmakers chose to spend most of the money on state government.

Ellison wants to deliver part of the state’s opening statement personally before passing it off to attorneys from two outside law firms handling the case for Minnesota. Consumer fraud, public nuisance, unjust enrichment, and conspiracy are all alleged in the case. A brief submitted last week provides a taste of the state’s claims.

“Defendant JUUL, in a conspiracy with Altria, preyed on and enticed Minnesota’s children to buy a product that may sentence them to a lifetime of nicotine addiction and other destructive behaviors,” state attorneys stated. “the company launched a design and marketing campaign aimed at enticing children, focusing on attracting ‘cool kids,’ creating a nicotine’ buzz,’ and utilizing social media and celebrities as ‘pushers’ of its addictive products.” Defendants allege their actions were in the name of assisting “aging smokers” to quit smoking. That claim is false; it is a ruse.”

According to Juul, Minnesota rejected settlement offers identical to those it received from other states, which gave “hundreds of millions of dollars to further combat underage use and develop cessation programs in those states.”

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Effective interventions to address underage use of all tobacco products in Minnesota

“Effective interventions to address underage use of all tobacco products in Minnesota, including vapor, rely on evidence-based policies, programs, and enforcement, not headline-driven trials,” the statement said. “This is the approach Juul Labs supports and has helped to implement.”

The creator of Marlboro cigarettes and other tobacco products, Altria Group, formerly Phillip Morris Cos., is downplaying its role. In a court filing last week, it stated that it purchased a 35% investment in Juul Labs in 2018 after its own vaping devices failed to find popularity, and only after Juul informed Altria “and announced to the world” that it had made “meaningful changes” to its marketing methods.

sAltria, based in Richmond, Virginia, said the services it offered to Juul lasted slightly over a year and ended in March 2020, including offering key counter space in retailers, mailing a Juul ad, and offering discounts to adult smokers. And it contends that its sponsorship did not materially raise sales of Juul products in Minnesota nor the use of e-cigarettes by minors in the state.

Juul, which debuted in 2015, quickly gained the market leader in the United States due to the appeal of flavors such as mango, mint, and creme brulee. Its popularity was boosted among teens, some of whom became addicted to Juul’s high-nicotine pods. In response to the backlash, Juul discontinued all U.S. advertising and its flavors in 2019. Juul’s appeal with teenagers has now declined, and its share of the multibillion-dollar market has decreased to around 33% from a high of 75%.

In June, the Food and Drug Administration rejected Juul’s proposal to keep its products on the market as a smoking substitute for adults, though that decision is under appeal. In September, Juul agreed to pay roughly $440 million to settle a two-year probe by 33 states into its marketing of high-nicotine products.

States still suing Juul include New York, California, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Alaska, Illinois, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

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SOURCE – (AP)

Health

After Attacks, British Prime Minister Says American XL Bully Dogs Are Dangerous And Will Be Banned

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LONDON, England – Following a public uproar following recent attacks, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described American XL Bully dogs as a “danger to our communities” and announced measures to outlaw the breed.

Sunak stated that he had requested government ministers to convene a meeting of police and canine experts to officially identify the features of the American XL Bully, which is not recognized as a breed by organizations such as the Kennel Club in the United Kingdom or the American Kennel Club in the United States.

Sunak stated in a video message posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, “It is not currently a breed defined in law, so this vital first step must happen quickly.” “The breed will then be banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act, and new laws will be in place by the end of the year.”

The government has been pressed to act after an 11-year-old girl was attacked and critically injured by an American XL Bully in Birmingham, England, on Saturday. On Thursday, those fears were heightened after a man was killed in an incident that may have featured this sort of dog.

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Following a public uproar following recent attacks, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described American XL Bully dogs as a “danger to our communities”.

Sunak stated, “The American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities, particularly our children.” “I share the national outrage over the recent videos we’ve all seen.”

The pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro are currently prohibited in the United Kingdom.

Some campaigners have requested that the American XL Bully, created from the American pit bull terrier, be added to the list because they believe the animals have deadly tendencies bred into them.

The Kennel Club of the United Kingdom does not recognize the XL Bully as a breed, arguing that no type of dog is intrinsically dangerous. According to the organization, breed-specific prohibitions do not address the most critical causes contributing to attacks, namely irresponsible dog owners who educate their dogs to be aggressive.

The bully breeds got their names from their use in blood sports, such as bull baiting. The dogs are more muscular than pit bulls and have a thicker bone structure.

SOURCE – (AP)

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Johnson & Johnson Is Getting Rid Of Its Script Logo After More Than 130 Years

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Johnson & Johnson has approved a new logo.

The healthcare behemoth announced Thursday that it will replace its well-known distinctive script, which it has used since 1887, with a more modern design that reflects its increased emphasis on pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

The original script, based on co-founder James Wood Johnson’s signature, will be featured on consumer products such as infant shampoo from Kenvue, a new firm spun out from J&J.

J&J has focused on drugs and medical devices. The new appearance, which features a distinct shade of red, intends to reflect J&J’s transformation into a “pure play health care company,” according to executive vice president Vanessa Broadhurst.

J&J’s trademark logo was “one of the longest-used company emblems in the world,” according to a 2017 website post.

However, it began to show its age in an age of texting and emoticons.

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Johnson & Johnson has approved a new logo.

According to marketing strategist Laura Ries, many youngsters no longer learn to write cursive in school. According to her, people may have recognized the signature but needed to be reading it. She claims that the new logo is easier to understand.

“Because it’s easier, it almost draws your attention to it,” Ries, who was not involved in the logo change, said.

Ries also discovered that customers were likelier to associate the script logo with Kenvue products on drugstore shelves, such as Band-Aids, Listerine, and Tylenol.

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Johnson & Johnson has approved a new logo.

“Everyone washed their babies with Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo,” she explained.

According to a Kenvue spokeswoman, the J&J logo on products such as Band-Aids will be gradually erased.

The distinctive emblem was also found on bottles of the company’s now-discontinued talcum-based infant powder, which sparked cancer lawsuits. J&J has stated that the powder was completely safe.

J&J’s consumer business helped the company become the world’s largest manufacturer of healthcare items, with annual revenues exceeding $90 billion. However, by the time the split was announced in late 2021, its pharmaceutical and medical device divisions had comfortably overtaken it in size.

J&J, based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, J&J will also rebrand its Janssen pharmaceutical division to J&J Innovative Medicine. Its medical device and technology division will be known as MedTech.

SOURCE – (AP)

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U.K News

1 Chip Challenge: Amazon And EBay Pull Spicy Tortilla From UK Shop

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Amazon and eBay have pulled from sale a super-hot tortilla chip linked to the death of an American adolescent.

Harris Wolobah’s parents feel the One Chip Challenge was to blame for his death last week.

It was removed from shelves in the United States, where it was widely distributed, but imports from global vendors remained available.

After being contacted by BBC Newsbeat, Amazon stated it would remove the goods from its sites in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

The online store also intends to notify any international buyers who have lately purchased the snack.

An eBay spokeswoman stated that user safety was a “top priority” and that sale listings had been removed.

“We are closely monitoring our site and will remove any additional listings that appear,” they added.

Harris’s death has not been officially determined, but his parents have urged for the One Chip Challenge to be stopped.

Paqui, a snack company, claims that the single tortilla, which comes in a coffin-shaped box, has a blend of “the hottest peppers available.”

Millions of people have watched YouTubers and TikTokers take the viral challenge and respond violently.

The challenge’s popularity is claimed to have prompted many youngsters to purchase the product, which comes with a warning label, to attempt it for themselves.

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Amazon and eBay have pulled from sale a super-hot tortilla chip linked to the death of an American adolescent.

Paqui issued a statement on its website on Thursday announcing its decision to withdraw merchandise from American retailers.

According to the firm, the challenge is “intended for adults only” and is inappropriate for anyone with underlying health concerns or allergies.

However, it reported an “increase in teens and other individuals failing to heed these warnings.”

“As a result, while the product continues to meet food safety standards, we are actively working with our retailers to remove the product from shelves,” the company said.

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A Paqui representative told Newsbeat, “We are deeply saddened by the death of Harris Wolobah and express our condolences to the family.”

“We care about all of our customers and have decided to remove the product from the shelves.”

They claimed that the product’s label “clearly states” that it is unsuitable for youngsters or those sensitive to spicy foods.

“We are actively working with our retailers and are offering refunds for any purchases of our single-serve one chip challenge product,” the company said.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the United Kingdom told Newsbeat that it is working to determine where the product is distributed.

The FSA’s Tina Potter stated, “So far, we have not received any reports of illness here.”

In most cases, eating chillis and spicy foods is regarded as harmless, depending on your tolerance.

However, the body’s reaction to extremely spicy foods might resemble its response to burns, resulting in symptoms such as perspiration.

SOURCE – (BBC)

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