E-cigarette manufacturer Juul has faced thousands of lawsuits nationwide regarding the company’s marketing of addictive nicotine products, and most have settled. In the past week, two more suits, involving eight state attorneys general, settled as well.
First, on April 12, 2023, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that Juul had entered into an agreement to pay $462 million to six states and the District of Columbia. The settlement also includes restrictions on the marketing and distribution of Juul’s vaping products, including limits on the amount of retail and online purchases an individual can make.
Second, the State of Minnesota announced that it settled its lawsuit against Juul on April 17, 2023. Minnesota was the first state to take Juul to trial, originally seeking more than $100 million in damages. The lawsuit alleged that Juul was “unlawfully targeting young people with its products to get a new generation addicted to nicotine.” When asked about the specific harm to the state of Minnesota, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison explained that Juul “marketed to kids” using enticing flavors, product design, product placement, and “slick marketing.” The settlement’s terms will remain confidential until formal papers are filed with the court within 30 days of the State’s announcement.