Illinois teen sues top e-cigarette maker

(13 Sep 2019) An Illinois teenager who fell ill with a lung disease after vaping for more than a year has sued a leading e-cigarette maker. Attorneys filed the lawsuit Friday in Lake County Circuit Court on behalf of 18-year-old Adam Hergenreder. The 85-page suit alleges Juul Labs deliberately targeted young people through Instagram and other sites to suggest vaping can boost their social status. The lawsuit also states Juul doesn't fully disclose their products contain dangerous chemicals. Lawyer Antonio Romanucci says his client couldn't avoid "getting hooked" on what he called "toxic timebombs." Hergenreder says he's afraid of what his future might look like, fearing the lung damage he's sustained may impact his work and everyday activities.   "Well, like I said, it was -- when I was first admitted into the hospital, my lungs were that of a 70-year-olds'. So, you can kind of imagine how terrible it was," Hergenreder said. His mother Polly said her son had aspirations of becoming a firefighter, "but that is definitely not going to be something he's gonna be able to do at this point," she said. There was no immediate response to an email message seeking comment from San Francisco-based Juul. The company has argued previously that its products are meant to help adult smokers wean themselves off traditional tobacco cigarettes. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...