E-cigarette maker Juul settled a lawsuit over its practice of targeting teens through social media, parties and models – here’s why the company is paying $438.5 million to dozens of states

A 2021 survey revealed that more than 2 million youths in the U.S. were using e-cigarettes. Aleksandr Yu/iStock via Getty Images Plus

In early September 2022, electronic cigarette maker Juul Labs – the face of the vaping epidemic among teenagers – agreed to pay US$438.5 million to 33 states.

The settlement concludes a two-year bipartisan investigation into the e-cigarette maker’s marketing and sales practices for its vaping products. Those states claimed that Juul marketed its addictive nicotine products to adolescents. The company had previously settled suits with four other states.