ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The e-cigarette company, Juul, is defending itself to lawmakers who blame the company for its role in the teen vaping epidemic.

• Juul company officials under fire from feds
• Company execs testified in front of the U.S. House Oversight and Reforms Economic and Consumer Policy Subcommittee
• 2 teens told subcommittee that Juul reps went to their school, told them Juul was "totally safe"

A House Committee wrapped up two days of hearings on Thursday with strong testimony from a high school student who said a Juul representative came into his school and told students Juul e-cigarettes are “totally safe.”  A Juul representative said the student misconstrued their message.

During the hearings, lawmakers learned that the e-cigarette company actually paid high schools to allow their representatives into classrooms to give presentations on addiction. 

The company’s marketing campaigns also came into question. 

The president of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids compared Juul’s marketing efforts to those used by Big Tobacco 40 years ago, specifically targeting teenagers.

"There is one difference- Juul had a different tool than the old cigarette companies, social media, and they used it brilliantly," said Matthew Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "They used it with images that are exactly the kind of images that we know from study after study after study appeal directly to kids."

This week, the FDA launched its own $60 million campaign called “The Real Cost” to educate teens on the risks of e-cigarettes, but still, some parents say it’s not enough.