Juul Labs suit: AG announces $79 million settlement over marketing to kids claims

A 2023 Florida lawsuit against Juul Labs that claimed the company marketed its e-cigarettes to children and misled consumers about their nicotine content has ended with a $79 million settlement, Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Monday.

The state will use the settlement proceeds to investigate other vape companies whose marketing could attract minors, Uthmeier said during the press conference in the Tampa Office of the state attorney general.

“We’re happy with this settlement. I recognize Juul for working well with our office,” he said. “We began this project as parties on different sides of a V in a lawsuit, and today we end as partners that are working together, working to protect our families and our kids.” The reference means opposing each other in court.

Juul Labs has stopped using models younger than 35 in ads, stopped ad placements in TV shows and movies, and stopped selling apparel bearing the company’s logo.

Former Attorney General Ashley Moody, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to replace Marco Rubio in the Senate, filed the suit in the Hillsborough County Circuit Court. DeSantis appointed Uthmeier, his former chief of staff, as Moody’s successor. He took office on Feb. 17.

A national crackdown on vapes and e-cigarettes has led to an increase in supplies of vape devices from China, he asserted.

“You’ve got a lot of product coming in from China right now, product that contains chemicals and harmful pathogens,” Uthmeier said. “We don’t know what’s in a lot of these things, but it’s hurting our kids. We need to make sure we’re protecting them.”

The 2024 Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration lists Chinese products as the most popular among the 1.63 million middle and high schoolers who reported vaping regularly.

Tyler Mace, Juul Labs’ chief legal officer, wrote in a statement to Florida Phoenix that the company was committed to combating underage vaping.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to continue our cooperation with Florida’s leaders to rid the market of these illegal Chinese vapes and pave the way for a marketplace of high-quality, scientifically validated American smoke-free alternatives for the nearly two million Floridian adults who continue to smoke,” Mace wrote.