State authorities said Tuesday that Juul Labs would pay $438.5 million to resolve an investigation by 34 US states that determined the vaping business advertised to teenage users.
According to the still-unfinished deal, Juul would make payments to certain US states over the next six to ten years and make a commitment not to use cartoons in advertisements or engage in other forms of marketing to children.
Texas, Oregon, and Connecticut state authorities, as well as others, started the investigation two years ago.
The press release stated that Juul “relentlessly marketed to underage users with launch parties, advertisements using young and trendy-looking models, social media posts, and free samples.”
The company also used age verification methods “that it knew were ineffective,” according to the press release.
“As we seek to accomplish our objective to transition adult smokers away from cigarettes – the leading cause of avoidable death — while combatting underage use,” the statement reads, “we stay focused on the future.”
Does vaping benefit smokers?
Juul has suggested that vaping goods may address the negative effects on one’s health of traditional combustible cigarettes.
Juul, which ceased selling fruit and candy-flavored e-cigarettes in 2019, has been held responsible for the rise in teenage smoking.
The US Food and Drug Administration said that the sale of e-cigarettes with flavours other than tobacco or menthol will be unlawful unless expressly permitted by the government in January 2020.
The FDA said on June 23 that it was taking all Juul Labs devices off the market after discovering the vaping industry behemoth had neglected to address several safety issues.
Next a Juul appeal, a US Court postponed the FDA’s move the following day.
An appeal has been made to the FDA, according to the Juul spokesperson, who also said that the company “continues to provide our products to adult smokers throughout the US.”