In the largest multi-state settlement to date, Juul Labs, the maker of e-cigarettes, will pay $462 million to six states and the District of Columbia. The embattled firm is accused of encouraging the rise of vaping among young people.
Letitia James, the attorney general of New York, and Rob Bonta, the attorney general of California, co-led the settlement. It requires retailers to secure Juul products behind store counters and confirm customers’ ages, and Juul must stop serving customers under the age of 35 to use in his business marketing materials that are aimed directly or indirectly at young people.
Juul deceived customers about the health dangers associated with their products by using tactics similar to those used by Big Tobacco. Customers were duped by the vape company into thinking that their products were safer California Attorney General Rob Bonta said that as a parent he was “disgusted” and “angry” at Juul.
“Today I’m here as California’s Attorney General, but I’m also here as a father of three. A father who is disgusted that Juul simply saw dollar signs where I see my son and daughters. A father furious over the nefarious tactics Juul used to hook our kids to their products: bright, attractive ads that showcased young people enjoying e-cigarettes; promotional gifts at concerts and festivals; elegant, easy-to-conceal products; a recipe that reduced the amount of nicotine while using a chemical formulation that made it easier for new users to digest; all masked with fun flavors,” Bonta said.
