Class Action Lawsuit Filed Over Presence of Lead in Stanley Quencher Tumbler Cups

The makers of the popular Stanley Quencher cups face a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of consumers, who indicate they were not warned the metal tumblers contained toxic levels of lead.

The complaint (PDF) was filed by Mackenzie Brown, Meiling Robinson, Shea Ritchie and Nora McCarl earlier this month in Los Angeles County Superior Court in California, pursuing damages from Pacific Market International (PMI) LLC as the defendant.

Concerns over the Stanley tumblers arose in January, after at-home testing kits used by social media influencers discovered the presence of lead in the cups, which pulled in $750 million in revenue for the manufacturer in 2023.

The findings raised alarms among consumers, however, the manufacturers admitted in January that it used lead in the manufacturing process for temperature control, indicating the lead used in the cups are covered by stainless steel, which should prevent consumers from experiencing lead poisoning injuries. However, consumers maintain that they should have been informed about the potential exposure, as they would not have paid premium prices for the Stanley Quencher tumblers if the risk had been disclosed.

Lead exposure can cause a number of serious health issues for adults and children, including nervous system injuries, brain damage, seizures, convulsions, coma, cognitive impairment, and even death.

In recent years, health officials have established that there is no safe blood lead level for developing fetuses, and even exposure to small lead levels has been associated with poor or delayed mental development.

The recent lawsuit, which seeks class action status for purchasers of Stanley Quencher cups nationwide, accuses PMI of intentionally failing to notify consumers about the presence of lead in its tumblers.

“PMI has marketed its products to the public for years as a safe, practical item especially suitable for young women. But PMI did not disclose its use of lead in manufacturing until January 2024,” the lawsuit notes. “Rather, it advertises its cups as being ‘BPA-free’ and made of stainless steel while omitting another key ingredient used in its vacuum seal: lead.”

The lawsuit notes that lead is dangerous even in trace amounts, and even with the protective steel covering there is a risk that if the cups are damaged adults and children drinking from them could be exposed to lead.

“PMI had a duty to disclose its use of lead before enticing millions of customers to unwittingly buy its drinkware,” the lawsuit states. “Instead of allowing consumers to decide for themselves and their families whether to accept any risks associated with using a lead-containing drinking cup, PMI kept customers in the dark so as not to interfere with its bonanza of influencer-driven sales, especially sales to young women.”

The Stanley Quencher class action lawsuit presents claims of unfair business practices, fraud, violations of California business and professional codes, and unjust enrichment.

Lead Exposure Concerns

Lead exposure and lead poisoning have been shown to have a substantial impact on children’s learning and developmental abilities, even after brief exposure.

The nonprofit organization Kids In Danger (KID) indicated in March last year that lead-related child product recalls were at the highest levels seen in the last decade, with 33 recalls were issued in 2022 over lead exposure hazards. Nineteen of the recalled products contained high levels of lead content, and eight involved children’s toys.

In April 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicated that approximately 9.2 million lead-tainted pipes are still part of the aging U.S. public water infrastructure and maintenance system, carrying contaminated drinking water homes and businesses and exposing large populations to lead of throughout the country.

Pediatrics published a study in September, finding that children living in racially segregated communities were more likely to have lead poisoning, and Black children were found to have higher levels of lead in their blood. Researchers have warned that children in impoverished areas have had an increased lead exposure risk since the 1990s through old houses, lead-based paint, and drinking water run through lead pipes.

In October, the EPA issued a statement warning of the threat leaded plane fuel poses to public health. The agency determined lead fuel used in certain planes can cause or contribute to air pollution, and result in child lead poisonings or premature adult deaths. Nearly 170,000 small-engine planes still use leaded fuel and continue to pose a public health risk, according to the EPA.