A California lawsuit filed by a non-profit group claims that e-cigarettes cause cancer, and that manufacturers failed to warn customers of two cancer-causing chemicals as well as the potential health effects nicotine use.
RJ Reynolds (Vuse), Fontem/Imperial Tobacco (Blu) and NJOY have been named in the suit.
The Center for Environmental Health said that 90% of e-cigarettes, e-liquids, and other vaping products purchased from major retailers such as RiteAid and 7-Eleven were found to contain formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, or both; two chemicals known to cause cancer that have also been linked to genetic damages, birth defects, and reduced fertility.
Under California’s Prop 65 consumer protection law companies must warn consumers when products may expose users to chemicals that can cause cancer or birth defects.
Along with this most recent suit, the nonprofit has also launched legal actions against more than 60 companies for failing to warn consumers about exposure to e-cigarettes, nicotine, or other cancer causing chemicals.
As a San Francisco product liability attorney, what shocks me is that the manufacturers, distributors and retailers of dangerous products seem to think that they have to warn about the poisons in regular cigarettes, but that they don’t have to warn about the same poisons in e-cigs. If there is a scientific reason why e-cigarettes are less dangerous than regular smoking cigarettes, I would like to know. To me, if you sell poison, you should be just as liable for any harm you cause, no matter how you package that poison.
Hello, I’m Claude Wyle, a San Francisco Dangerous product attorney. Have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered here? Feel free to contact me or visit www.ccwlawyers.com
