Utah’s is set to receive $8.6 million as its part of a nationwide settlement with e-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs, according to an announcement from the Utah Department of Commerce and the office of Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes. The release said the agreement resolves a two-year, bipartisan investigation into Juul’s marketing and sales practices.
Juul Labs has entered a $438.5 million settlement with 34 states and territories — including Utah — over the plaintiffs’ charge that Juul’s marketing practices triggered the nation’s teenage vaping crisis. Juul did not acknowledge any wrongdoing in the terms of the settlement. Utah’s share will be paid out over six years, according to the agreement, which still has to be ratified by the court.
“Deceptive marketing tactics are never tolerated, but Juul’s were especially despicable,” said Utah Department of Commerce Executive Director Margaret Busse in a release. “This settlement represents a big win for Utah in the fight against those who purposely market dangerous products to youth. Juul will be held responsible for marketing addictive products to underage individuals.”
According to the Department of Commerce press release, Juul was, for years, a main manufacturer of vaping products. This nationwide investigation revealed that Juul achieved its market leadership by willfully engaging in an advertising campaign that appealed to youth, even though its e-cigarettes are both illegal for them to purchase and are unhealthy for youth to use.
The investigation determined that Juul marketed to underage users through launch parties, advertisements with trendy models, social media posts and free samples. It marketed a technology-focused, sleek design that could be easily concealed and sold its product in flavors known to attract underage users. The report also said Juul manipulated the chemical composition of its product to make the vapor less harsh on the throats of young and inexperienced users. The investigation also revealed that Juul’s original packaging did not clearly disclose it contained nicotine and implied the concentration of it was lower than it actually was.
The New York Times reported that Juul wants to rebrand itself as a product that could help adults quit smoking in an effort to continue in business.
“The tentative settlement prohibits the company from marketing to youth, funding education in schools and misrepresenting the level of nicotine in its products,” the newspaper reported. “But Juul had already discontinued several marketing practices and withdrawn many of its flavored pods that appealed to teenagers, under public pressure from lawmakers, parents and health experts a few years ago when the vaping crisis was at a peak.”