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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 7 september 2022
Juul to pay nearly $440M to settle states’ teen vaping probe

By MATTHEW PERRONE and in Arizona, Louisiana, North lets unless 85% of their audi-
DAVE COLLINS Carolina and Washington. ence are adults.
Associated Press The settlement total The deal also includes re-
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — amounts to about 25% of strictions on where Juul
Electronic cigarette maker Juul’s U.S. sales of $1.9 bil- products may be placed in
Juul Labs has agreed to lion last year. Tong said it stores, age verification on
pay nearly $440 million to was an “agreement in prin- all sales and limits to online
settle a two-year investi- ciple,” meaning the states and retail sales.
gation by 33 states into will be finalizing the settle- “These are some of the
the marketing of its high- ment documents over the toughest mandates at any
nicotine vaping products, next several weeks. point on any industry,”
which have long been Most of the limits imposed Tong said, “which is incred-
blamed for sparking a na- by Tuesday’s settlement ibly important because at
tional surge in teen vap- won’t immediately affect the end of the day this is
ing. Connecticut Attorney Juul, which halted use of about protecting our kids
General William Tong an- parties, giveaways and Packaging for an electronic cigarette and menthol pods from and protecting all of us
nounced the deal Tuesday other promotions after Juul Labs is displayed on Feb. 25, 2020, in Pembroke Pines, Fla. from a very significant pub-
on behalf of the states plus coming under scrutiny sev- Associated Press lic health risk.”
Puerto Rico, which joined eral years ago. The com- smokers away from ciga- practices as part of the Juul initially sold its high-
together in 2020 to probe pany currently makes up rettes — the number one settlement. They include nicotine pods in flavors like
Juul’s early promotions and about one third of the U.S. cause of preventable not using cartoons, paying mango, mint and cream.
claims about the benefits retail vaping market, down death — while combating social media influencers, The products became a
of its technology as a smok- from 75% several years underage use,” the com- depicting people under 35, scourge in U.S. high schools,
ing alternative. ago. pany said in a statement. advertising on billboards with students vaping in
The settlement, which in- Teen use of e-cigarettes Juul has agreed to refrain and public transportation bathrooms and hallways
cludes numerous restric- skyrocketed in the years fol- from a host of marketing and placing ads in any out- between classes.q
tions on how Juul can mar- lowing Juul’s 2015 launch,
ket its products, resolves leading the U.S. Food and
one of the biggest legal Drug Administration to de-
threats facing the belea- clare an “epidemic” of
guered company, which underage vaping among
still faces nine separate young people. Health
lawsuits from other states. experts said the unprec-
Additionally, Juul faces edented increase risked
hundreds of personal law- hooking a generation of
suits brought on behalf of young people on nicotine.
teenagers and others who But since 2019 Juul has
say they became addict- mostly been in retreat,
ed to the company’s vap- dropping all U.S. advertis-
ing products. ing and pulling its fruit and
The states’ investigation candy flavors from store
found that Juul marketed shelves.
its e-cigarettes to under- The biggest blow came
age teens with launch par- earlier this summer when
ties, product giveaways the FDA moved to ban all
and ads and social media Juul e-cigarettes from the
posts using youthful mod- market. Juul challenged
els, according to a state- that ruling in court, and the
ment. “We think that this will FDA has since reopened
go a long way in stemming its scientific review into the
the flow of youth vaping,” company’s technology.
Tong said at a news con- The FDA review is part of a
ference at his Hartford of- sweeping effort by regula-
fice. “I’m under no illusions tors to bring scrutiny to the
and cannot claim that it multibillion-dollar vaping in-
will stop youth vaping,” he dustry after years of delays.
said. “It continues to be an The agency has authorized
epidemic. It continues to a handful of e-cigarettes
be a huge problem. But we from Juul’s competitors for
have essentially taken a adult smokers looking for a
big chunk out of what was less harmful alternative to
once a market leader, and cigarettes.
by their conduct, a major While Juul’s early marketing
offender.” focused on young, urban
The $438.5 million will be professionals, the com-
paid out over a period of pany has since shifted to
six to 10 years. Tong said pitching its product as an
Connecticut’s payment of alternative nicotine source
at least $16 million will go for older smokers.
toward vaping prevention “We remain focused on
and education efforts. Juul our future as we fulfill our
previously settled lawsuits mission to transition adult