Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Monday that a 2023 lawsuit against Juul Labs has concluded with a $79 million settlement. The lawsuit, filed in Hillsborough County Circuit Court by former Attorney General Ashley Moody, alleged that Juul marketed its e-cigarettes to children and misled consumers about their nicotine content.
At a press conference held at the Tampa office, Uthmeier stated that the settlement funds will be used to investigate other vape companies whose marketing practices may attract minors. He said,
“We’re happy with this settlement. I recognize Juul for working well with our office. We began this project as parties on different sides of a V in a lawsuit, and today we end as partners that are working together, working to protect our families and our kids.”
Juul Labs has implemented several changes in response to regulatory pressures, including ceasing the use of models younger than 35 in advertisements, eliminating product placements in television shows and movies, and discontinuing the sale of apparel bearing its logo.
Amid a national crackdown on vaping products, Attorney General Uthmeier highlighted concerns over the influx of vape devices from China.
“You’ve got a lot of product coming in from China right now, product that contains chemicals and harmful pathogens. We don’t know what’s in a lot of these things, but it’s hurting our kids. We need to make sure we’re protecting them,” he said.
Juul Labs has stopped using models younger than 35 in ads, stopped ad placements in TV shows and movies, and stopped selling apparel bearing the company’s logo as youth use declines, according to company statements.
“Fortunately, the prevalence of youth vaping has fallen significantly in recent years. Federal government data show that vaping rates among middle and high school students fell to 5.9% in 2024 from 20% in 2019,” the company stated in a release. “This is consistent with Florida data showing similar reductions in underage rates over that same time period.
“We look forward to continuing our work with Florida’s leaders, law enforcement, policymakers, and other State stakeholders to rid the market of untested, unregulated, and illegal Chinese vapes and pave the way for a market of high-quality, American products to benefit the nearly two million Floridian adults who continue to smoke and deserve scientifically-validated smoke-free alternatives.”
