
E-cigarette maker Juul and the state of North Carolina reached an agreement over state allegations that Juul targeted its products. Their “highly addictive”
; proactive for youth. which triggered an outbreak of vaporWhile still denying any wrongdoing, Juul has agreed to pay North Carolina a total of $40 million over six years. Selling and selling products to youth. According to the Juul list, we do not use advertisements that may appeal to youth. Avoid social media advertising and the use of influencers. It will not support sporting events and entertainment such as concerts. and will not use people under the age of 35 in marketing
The Company also agrees to help enforce age restrictions by implementing the program. The “secret shopper” Juul will send undercover agents between the ages of 21 and 27 to at least 50 stores across the Tar-Heel state per month to determine if the retailer verifies the age of the shoppers.
The deal comes after years of heated allegations and criticism that Juul intentionally and aggressively targets teenagers in its marketing and advertising campaigns. Which critics say is directly responsible for the high levels of vaping among teenagers, according to a lawsuit filed by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey last year. Juul’s 2015 and 2016 marketing campaigns included ads shown on sites such as Cartoon Network’s cartoonnetwork.com and Nickelodeon sites Nick.com and NickJr.com, and a 2019 Congressional testimony revealed that representatives Juul’s presents work to teenagers in school. without teachers present or with parental consent
triumphs and cases
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention E-cigarette use among high school students rose from 1.5 percent in 2011 to 27.5 percent in 2019, meaning more than a quarter of high school students reported using e-cigarettes within the preceding 30 years as of today. At the time of the 2019 survey, that percentage was just 20 percent lower in 2020 following a crackdown on Juul’s advertising and flavored product sales. The federal government has also increased the vaping age limit to 21.
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein sees the deal as another step towards quitting e-cigarette use among teens.
“For years, JUUL has been targeting young people. including teenagers With the highly addictive e-cigarette It ignited and set a flame of an epidemic of vapor among our children that you can see in any high school in North Carolina,” Stein said in a statement. “This victory will help keep JUUL products out of the reach of children. Prevents chemical vapors from the lungs. and protect nicotine from toxic and addictive effects in the brain.”
In its own statement, Juul said the deal “It is consistent with our ongoing efforts to reset our company and our stakeholder relationships as we continue to combat underage use and increase harm reduction opportunities for smokers. Adult cigarettes… we try to Trust is still earned through action.”
The resolution of the lawsuit against North Carolina is likely just the start of a legal move for Juul, several other states, including Massachusetts. It filed a lawsuit against The Associated Press, reporting that 39 attorney generals have worked together since February 2020 to investigate the company’s marketing and products. The company is also facing hundreds of personal injury lawsuits. which is included in the California federal lawsuit.
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