The e-cigarette industry continues to face backlash, with several lawsuits filed in recent months. A man in Sonoma county suffered third-degree burns after his e-cigarette battery exploded in his pocket last month. The man’s legs were severely burned, and he has no idea when he will be able to return to work.
Jason Clar, the man burned in the incident, has undergone two skin grafts and claims to be in constant pain from the explosion.
The explosion caused him to lose most of the skin on the back of his leg. He was rushed to the emergency room as quickly as possible. Blasts from e-cigarettes are rising, with 2,035 people ending up in the hospital between 2015 and 2017.
The severity of the explosions range from burns to loss of body parts and even death.
A man in Tennessee suffered another loss relating to exploding e-cigarettes: his truck. The man claims that he was walking by his truck after work one morning and realized that there was a fire inside. He claims that he could hardly see out of the window due to all of the soot inside.
The device was in his cup holder at the time of the fire. The man claims that he had only used the device for four days before it exploded. The man’s 2017 Nissan Frontier has smoke stains, and the seat and console have been damaged. No one was hurt in the incident.
North Carolina is suing Juul over their marketing practices. The attorney general is suing the e-cigarette maker to reduce teen usage of the brand. Juul has been accused of marketing their products to teens and controls three quarters of the market. Lawmakers claim that e-cigarette usage is an epidemic, with 20% of teens claiming to vape.
More than 25% of high school students and 7% of middle schoolers report using tobacco products in the last 30 days.
A 16-year-old from Greensboro, who claims to have started vaping as a way to fit in as a freshman, has experienced negative side effects from vaping. He has suffered from weight loss, seizures and has had his growth stunted. Since quitting, he has gained 20 pounds and grew 3 inches taller.
Parents of children who vape claim that their children are suffering from substance abuse problems. Some parents claim that their children have higher levels of anxiety and behavioral issues, including angry outbursts, since starting to vape. Some of these teens have even been placed into rehabilitation programs.