E-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc. has agreed to pay $438.5 million to settle claims by 34 U.S. states and territories that it downplayed its products' risks and targeted underage buyers, several states announced yesterday, Reuters reported. As part of the settlement, Juul has agreed to refrain from some kinds of marketing, including the use of cartoons, product placement and depictions of users under 35. The deal stems from a two-year investigation led by Connecticut, Texas and Oregon. Juul, which has not admitted wrongdoing, called the settlement "a significant part of our ongoing commitment to resolve issues from the past," and said that the marketing restrictions were consistent with its practices since it undertook a "company-wide reset" in 2019. The company at that time pulled most flavors from the market and halted much of its advertising under pressure from regulators. Juul previously settled similar claims by Arizona, North Carolina, Louisiana and Washington. Some states, including New York, California, Massachusetts and Illinois, are continuing to pursue claims against Juul.
