Juul Laboratories, the e-cigarette manufacturer singled out by US authorities as the leading culprit in America’s youth vaping epidemic, has agreed to pay $462m to settle claims that it knowingly misled children about addiction risks in six states and the District of Columbia.
California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, and the capital district will share the money. The biggest share, $176m, goes to the most populous state, California, which recently banned the in-store sale of flavoured vaping products.
Juul has also agreed to stop advertising on billboards or public transport, and on social media channels frequented by the young. The company also undertakes not to include people aged under 35 in any of its advertisements. …