On Monday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced a $79 million settlement with JUUL Labs, Inc. to resolve litigation over the company’s past marketing that targeted children in Florida. As a result of the settlement, JUUL shall not take any action to reach youth in Florida in the advertising, promotion, or marketing of JUUL products.
“As a father, the safety and wellbeing of children is top of mind, all the time. Florida has been a leader in the fight to end teen vaping, and I’m proud to announce this monumental settlement with JUUL.” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “However, our work continues—which is why I am establishing the Vape Free Florida Fund, which allocates $30 million of the settlement funds toward enforcement of Florida’s laws protecting children from harmful marketing and products.”
The settlement comes after the Attorney General’s Office investigated and filed a lawsuit to halt the company’s past marketing practices, which attracted children to an addictive product. The litigation alleged that JUUL created a technology-focused vaping device that could be easily concealed from parents by children and sold its nicotine products in flavors known to be attractive to underage users.
As a result of the settlement, JUUL will pay the State of Florida $79 million, $30 million of which will go toward the Vape Free Florida Fund to aid in the enforcement of the State’s nicotine and vapor laws at the direction of Attorney General Uthmeier. JUUL also agrees that it shall not take any action to target youth in its advertising and promotion of products in Florida.
Additional terms of the settlement include:
- JUUL shall not use models under the age of 35 in its advertising;
- JUUL shall not use brand names or cartoons in any of its advertising;
- JUUL shall not have its product or logo placed in TV or movies;
- JUUL shall not make any claims or representations comparing the quantification of the amount of nicotine in JUUL products to that found in combustible tobacco products;
- JUUL shall not advertise products in media or outlets in Florida unless, according to nationally established advertising demographic services, 85% or more of the audience of the media are not youth; and
- JUUL shall not use billboards in Florida.
To view a copy of the settlement, click here.
