E-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs has agreed to a series of advertising restrictions as part of a $79 million settlement with Florida.
According to state Attorney General James Uthmeier, Juul will pay $30 million the newly created Vape Free Florida Fund to help in the enforcement of nicotine and vaping laws to protect “children from harmful marketing and products.”
Juul will also place $49 million in a trust fund for the Florida Department of Legal Affairs.
The payments will take place over a seven-year period.
As part of the agreement, Juul will not target children in advertising of its products. Ads cannot use models under age 35, brand names or cartoons. Also, no Juul products or logos can appear in television shows or movies.
In addition, Juul cannot not advertise on billboards, compare the amount of nicotine in Juul products to that found in tobacco products like cigarettes, or advertise in media unless 85% or more of the audience are not youth.
“As a father, the safety and well-being of children is top of mind, all the time,” Uthmeier said in a statement. “Florida has been a leader in the fight to end teen vaping, and I’m proud to announce this monumental settlement with Juul.”
The state filed the lawsuit in 2023 in Hillsborough County circuit court, alleging that Juul marketed its vape products to children and misled consumers about its nicotine content.
The settlement said Juul “denies any wrongdoing and the allegations” in the lawsuit and that no part of the settlement “shall constitute evidence of any liability, fault or wrongdoing.”
