Juul barred from marketing to minors in $462mn vaping settlement

Six states and the District of Columbia have agreed to a settlement of $462 million with Juul, a number one e-cigarette firm, for violating legal guidelines that prohibit advertising and marketing tobacco merchandise to minors.  

This announcement was made by prosecutors from New York, California, and 4 different states. The settlement comes on the heels of a earlier settlement of $438.5 million with 34 different US states and is the most recent setback for the e-cigarette maker.

Juul’s advertising and marketing practices have been discovered to have brought on a nationwide public well being disaster by exposing younger folks to addictive merchandise and convincing them that they have been innocent. New York Legal professional Common Letitia James mentioned that Juul is now paying the value for the hurt it has brought on. 

James sued the corporate in November 2019 for glamorising smoking, utilizing fruity, candy, and minty flavours to draw younger folks, and deceptive shoppers concerning the security of its merchandise.

The settlement will fund applications aimed toward curbing underage vaping and impose new restrictions on the sale of Juul’s merchandise. These restrictions embody including age verification necessities for on-line purchases and conducting common retail compliance checks at sure shops. Juul may also be prohibited from advertising and marketing to younger folks and offering free samples to shoppers.

Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New Mexico have additionally joined the settlement. Juul has described this settlement as a vital a part of the corporate’s ongoing dedication to resolving points from its previous. With this settlement, Juul hopes to resolve its historic authorized challenges and safe certainty for its future.