Saud Anwar

Senator Anwar Encouraged As Juul Reaches Settlement; Connecticut To Receive $16.2 Million

Today, State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) was encouraged after Attorney General William Tong announced JUUL Labs reached a $438.5 million agreement with 34 states and territories following an investigation into the company’s advertising aimed at youth markets. In addition to the financial penalties – of which Connecticut will receive at least $16.2 million, largely intended for cessation, prevention and mitigation use of tobacco products – JUUL agreed to comply with strict limitations on marketing and sales, specifically limiting access to youth markets.

“For years, we’ve known JUUL used deceptive and predatory marketing to reach youth audiences, and that marketing has caused countless children to become addicted to nicotine,” said Sen. Anwar. “To hear the company has reached an agreement that will limit sales and marketing to youths, and that it will pay more than $16 million to Connecticut and more than $435 million nationally, is nothing short of relieving. But this shows that, all this time, JUUL – and, likely, other businesses operating in the tobacco market – knew what they were doing was wrong, and yet they continued to do it. We must take further action and continue to hold these companies accountable, hopefully improving public health by further reducing smoking rates.”

According to Attorney General Tong’s office, the multistate investigation into JUUL’s practices found that the company willfully engaged in advertising appealing to youth, despite youth markets being unable to access those products and their negative health impacts. JUUL used launch parties, advertising using young models and free samples in its advertising while it marketed designs meant to be easily concealed and with flavors popular among underage users.

Investigations further found JUUL marketing misled about product nicotine content and nicotine concentration and that the device was a smoking cessation device despite no FDA approval for such claims.

Under the settlement, which will see payments made over a period of six to ten years, JUUL will refrain from marketing aimed toward youth, depicting people under 35 in marketing, using cartoons in marketing, product placement, selling brand-name merchandise, using misleading representations about products, advertising in outlets with less than 85% adult readership and advertising on social media, among other changes to its practices.