For the Kids…and 2020: NC AG Josh Stein Makes NC First to Sue E-Cig Makers

RALEIGH – North Carolina was the first state to officially sue E-cigarette manufacturers earlier this year after Democrat N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein filed suit again Juul and other producers of vaping products. Right on cue, the good press Stein was counting on is starting to come through.

The position of state attorney general deals with a lot of very serious things, but not always of the variety that fit neatly into a reelection campaign message. So, dragging your state into high profile lawsuits to convince voters you’re fighting for them — like a giant taxpayer supported campaign ad — is par for the course.

Stein is well-practiced at this tactic, commonly joining other AGs on the Left to join high profile lawsuits against the Trump administration, or demanding the federal government burden North Carolina with ever more onerous environmental regulations, or whatever cause de jour drum the Democrats are beating at that moment. The issue itself, while necessarily in line with Democrats’ Big Government agenda, matters less than maximizing the positive narrative spun around the AG’s pursuit of the lawsuit.

So who better to take to court right now than the producers of the extremely popular and controversial E-cigs? Vaping, and concern over vaping effects on health, is just ‘so hot’ right now, and Stein is going to capitalize on the hot topic as part of his 2020 reelection bid.

Should E-cig makers be more regulated? Will the regulations actually help address the issue? It doesn’t matter as long as you know that AG Stein cares about the kids, and will stand up to Big Corporations for the little guy. A campaign message brought to you by your own tax dollars.