Juul Labs Inc and Altria Group Inc are set to face their first US trail over claims that they created a public nuisance by marketing their e-cigarettes to teens, reports Reuters.

The state of Minnesota claims that Juul and its former largest investor Altria sold its addictive e-cigarettes in sweet flavours and advertised them on social media to appeal to youths. The state is now demanding the companies pay for measures to remedy the harms of addiction, reports Reuters.
Minnesota says that vaping amongst teens had increased by over 50 per cent in the three years leading up to the lawsuit whereas Altria claims that the surge in youth vaping took place before Altria took its 35 per cent stake in Juul.
The trial is due to start next week with the jury selection and opening statements.
“We will prove how Juul and Altria deceived and hooked a generation of Minnesota youth on their products, causing both great harm to the public and great expense to the State to remediate that harm,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said about the trial.
Juul issued a statement saying: “At trial we will present a vigorous defense and show that the state’s claims do not stand up as matters of facts and law.”
Juul has already agreed to pay out USD 439 million in similar lawsuits with 34 other states and USD 1.7 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits with individuals and local government entities, reports Reuters.