City of Chicago Settles with Juul Labs for $23.8M Over Marketing to Underage Youth

HI INDIA NEWS DESK
CHICAGO, IL — The City of Chicago has reached a settlement of $23.8 million with JUUL Labs over allegations of harmful and deceptive business practices. JUUL Labs was accused of marketing and selling its e-cigarette products to underage users. The settlement will be used by the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) to prevent and reduce youth vaping through education, local policies, parent and teacher supports, cessation supports, improvements in data, and community engagement and outreach initiatives.

JUUL Labs introduced its e-cigarette products in 2015 and quickly became the leading supplier in the United States. Today, high school students in Chicago are 10 times more likely to use e-cigarettes than traditional combustible cigarettes. The use of e-cigarettes among youth is a serious public health concern, as it can lead to addiction to nicotine, inhalation of toxic chemicals, exposure to illicit drugs, an increased risk of asthma attacks, and mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

The settlement agreement resolves a lawsuit brought by the City in May 2020, which claimed that JUUL violated City ordinances by marketing its products to minors and selling without implementing strict age verification requirements. JUUL has been named in thousands of lawsuits for its deceptive marketing practices and minimizing the risks of its products.

The City of Chicago has taken action against multiple sellers of e-cigarettes and e-juices for their unfair marketing tactics aimed at luring youth into a harmful addiction. Since 2018, the City has filed nine lawsuits against 45 online vaping retailers and has reached settlements with 50 companies, requiring them to change their business practices and pay almost $27 million in fines.

JUUL has agreed to pay the City $2.8 million within 30 days of the execution of the agreement, with an additional $21 million payment later this year and up to $750,000 in court-awarded payments. The settlement agreement is a victory for the City of Chicago in its fight against chronic disease and to protect its youth from the dangers of vaping.