Juul to pay nearly $440,000,000 in youth vaping probe settlement

Electronic cigarette manufacturer Juul has agreed to a settlement after an investigation blamed the company for marketing its products to teenagers.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced the deal on Tuesday. The vape company agreed to pay nearly $440million to 33 states and Puerto Rico.

The investigation found that the company marketed its products to teenagers using launch parties, social media promotions, and product giveaways, and that it played a role in a recent rise in underage tobacco use.

‘Juul’s cynically calculated advertising campaigns created a new generation of nicotine addicts,’ Tong stated.

‘They relentlessly marketed vaping products to underage youth, manipulated their chemical composition to be palatable to inexperienced users, employed an inadequate age verification process, and misled consumers about the nicotine content and addictiveness of its products.’

The investigation also alleged that the company appealed to younger users by offering higher-level nicotine products and appealing flavors such as mango and

Juul says they have moved away from marketing to young people and are instead advertising their product as a means to help cigarette smokers quit.

‘Juul also manipulated the chemical composition of its product to make the vapor less harsh on the throats of the young and inexperienced users,’ the Connecticut Attorney General’s office stated. ‘Consumers were also misled to believe that consuming one JUUL pod was the equivalent of smoking one pack of combustible cigarettes.’

‘We remain focused on our future as we fulfill our mission to transition adult smokers away from cigarettes – the number one cause of preventable death – while combating underage use,’ the company stated.

As part of the settlement, Juul also agreed to limit how it advertises in the future. They agreed to refrain from paying influencers, using social media, selling branded merchandise, placing ads on billboards and public transit, and depicting any people under 35 using the product.

In June, the FDA banned the sale of all Juul e-cigarette products. The company challenged the ban in court, leading to the agency reopening its own review of the vape manufacturer.

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