RELEASE: Rep. Halverson Applauds Decision to Sue JUUL

SAINT PAUL, MN — Yesterday, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Governor Tim Walz, and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan announced that the State of Minnesota is suing JUUL, a major e-cigarette manufacturer. Rep. Laurie Halverson (DFL – Eagan) issued the following statement in response:

“I applaud Attorney General Ellison and the Walz Administration for taking on the tobacco industry. JUUL and other tobacco companies have used child-friendly flavors and misinformation to market their products to kids and young adults with no regard for their health or safety. I’m proud to see Minnesota taking a stand against deceptive and predatory marketing and holding JUUL accountable for putting a generation of young Minnesotans at risk.”

In October, Rep. Halverson and the Minnesota House DFL introduced a comprehensive plan to curb youth tobacco use by raising the tobacco sales age to 21, banning the sale of all flavored products, increasing youth education and prevention efforts, and eliminating online sales.

Youth smoking and vaping rates have been one of Rep. Halverson’s top concerns for several years. Earlier this year, she championed legislation to add e-cigarettes to the Minnesota Clean Air Act and to direct settlement money paid by tobacco manufacturers towards combatting the epidemic of youth tobacco use.

In 2017, the number of young Minnesotans using tobacco rose for the first time in 17 years due to a surge in e-cigarette use. Since then, the crisis has only gotten worse. According to the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey, usage rates have climbed among 8^th, 9^th, and 11^th graders. The survey also indicated that many people are unaware of the health risks associated with e-cigarettes.