Juul to pay North Carolina $40M in teen vaping suit settlement News
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Juul to pay North Carolina $40M in teen vaping suit settlement

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced on Monday that Juul Labs Inc., an electronic cigarette giant, will pay $40 million to North Carolina and make changes to its business practices to settle accusations that the company unlawfully marketed and sold products to young people.

Juul allegedly fueled an increase in teenage vaping, including through its use of social media advertisements. Moreover, Juul is accused of selling vaping devices and flavored pods to children.

The settlement requires Juul to stop marketing products to individuals under the age of 21 in North Carolina. This involves ending the use of social media advertisements and ceasing to advertise near schools. The $40 million will be paid out over six years, and the settlement money will be used to fund treatment programs for teenagers who use e-cigarettes and e-cigarette research.

After Juul launched in 2015, teen use of e-cigarettes increased by more than 70%. In 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared an “epidemic” of teenage use of e-cigarettes.

“Juul sparked and spread a disease – the disease of nicotine addiction,” Stein stated. “Today’s court order will go a long way toward ensuring that their e-cigarettes product is not in kids’ hands, its chemical vapor is out of their lungs, and that the nicotine does not poison or addict their brains.”

Juul stated after the court hearing, “this settlement is consistent with our ongoing effort to reset our company and its relationship with our stakeholders, as we continue to combat underage usage and advance the opportunity for harm reduction for adult smokers.”

North Carolina is the first state to reach a settlement with Juul. Several other states have filed lawsuits against Juul, and Juul faces hundreds of personal injury lawsuits.