Electronic cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc. will pay at least $438.5 million in a settlement with 33 states and Puerto Rico to bring an end to a two-year investigation into its marketing tactics on underage users. Under the terms of the agreement, Juul will cease featuring people under 35 in its advertising, including product placement and merchandise, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said Tuesday. Juul denied wrongdoing but called the deal “a significant part” of its push to resolve “issues from the past.” The nearly $440 million sum will be parceled out by the firm over the next six to 10 years, used largely to “help reduce nicotine use,” Tong said. The new settlement comes on the heels of similar resolutions with four other states—Louisiana, Arizona, North Carolina, and Washington state—made in the last year for a total of $87 million. At least nine suits from other states remain pending, in addition to the hundreds of personal suits filed by young users who claim they became addicted to vaping Juul’s products.
