JUUL SETTLES WASHINGTON DECEPTIVE ADVERTISING SUIT FOR $22.5M

E-cigarette company Juul will pay $22.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Washington state that accused it of marketing its products to underage customers, state Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D) announced in a statement.

 

Ferguson sued the company in September 2020, alleging that it violated the Consumer Protection Act tens of thousands of times by creating and marketing products catered toward underage customers. The lawsuit also accused the company of deceiving customers about how addictive its products are.

 

In addition to the multimillion-dollar payment, which the company must pay over four years, the settlement also requires that Juul does not use advertisements that appeal to youth and halts most social media promotions.

 

The company, however, announced in 2019 that it was suspending all broadcast, print and digital product advertising in the U.S.

 

The settlement also requires that Juul factually markets the content and effects of the nicotine contained in its products. It mandates that the company conducts at least 25 secret shopper checks per month at Juul retailers in the state for at least two years. At least one check must be conducted in every county in the state per year.