D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced Wednesday that Juul Labs, Inc., will pay $15.2 million — the largest litigated settlement the attorney general’s office has secured under the Consumer Protection Procedures Act in the history of the city.
The settlement is designed to resolve allegations that Juul marketed nicotine products to District youth and misled city consumers about the product’s highly addictive qualities. About half of the settlement will be used directly to mitigate the public health damages Juul’s products caused.
In addition to the financial settlement, Juul must adhere to strict advertising restrictions that stop it from engaging in harmful marketing practices in the future.
“Juul preyed on children for profit, implementing an intentionally deceptive, manipulative marketing campaign targeting underage users with the intention of creating addicted customers,” Schwalb said. “Juul knew how addictive and dangerous its products were and actively tried to cover up that medical truth.
“The Office of the Attorney General prioritizes protecting District children’s health and safety and ensuring our kids can live healthy, hopeful lives,” the attorney general said. “Now, thanks to the diligent work by our legal teams, Juul has ended its harmful, illegal conduct and must put millions of dollars towards mitigating the public health damage it caused.”
