New York State is going after e-cigarette maker Juul for targeting teenagers in misleading advertisements.

The attorney general’s office claims Juul’s ads mislead teens about nicotine content in its vapors.

This latest development is not encouraging for Lexington County economic development officials.

Juul has said little about plans to open a $125 million Lexington County plant.

A lawsuit was announced Tuesday by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a day after California filed a similar complaint.

The allegations add to earlier legal challenges by schools, parents and others accusing the embattled company of wrongdoing.

“By glamorizing vaping while down-playing the nicotine found in vaping products, Juul is putting countless New Yorkers at risk,” James said in a statement.

“Juul’s pervasive ad campaign, which included bright, colorful images of attractive, young models, appealed to underage youth,” James said. The company also attracted teenagers --including some in New York -- by offering flavored vaping products, she said.

The attorney general said a recent National Youth Tobacco Survey indicates that about 4.1 million high school students and 1.2 million middle school students use e-cigarettes in the US.

As of Nov. 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 42 deaths of patients tied to e-cigarette or vaping product use, with a further 2,172 cases of associated lung injury reported nationwide.

Juul spokesman Austin Finan said the company is committed to “resetting the vapor category” and “earning the trust of society” by working with authorities to “combat underage use and convert adult smokers from combustible cigarettes.”