Juul Settles with North Carolina School District for Millions

Wake County Scores $6.2 Million Victory against Juul

Juul has agreed to pay the Wake County School District $6.2 million to settle a lawsuit brought against the e-cigarette company last year. The lawsuit accused Juul of targeting minors and contributing to the rise of teenage vaping. This settlement comes on the heels of other high-profile payments. Juul has resolved with six other states for an estimated $462 million, the highest amount it has yet to pay for its legal troubles. The company has chosen to pay out settlements rather than spend even more going to trial against the numerous plaintiffs in other cases around the US.

Why Juul Settled

Juul faced heavy criticism for targeting minors through its advertising campaigns, which appeared in magazines, online, and social media. This led to a rise in teenage vaping, alarming parents, teachers, and public health officials. Teachers nationwide have even witnessed students vaping in hallways, bathrooms, and even in class. With these ongoing issues, Juul has decided to settle most cases rather than face trial.

Juul also has legal troubles with the FDA and is currently struggling with over 10,000 different plaintiffs in 5000 other cases around the US.

School Districts Take Action

School districts were among the first to take action against Juul. With this settlement, the Wake County School District will fund education programs to raise awareness about the dangers of vaping and help young people already addicted to nicotine get help.

Juul also plans to settle with another 1500 different school districts for $1.2 billion in a multi-party settlement in the upcoming weeks.

Closing Thoughts

While these problems seem never-ending for Juul, it is still in talks to sell its intellectual property to another tobacco company. Still, it is more likely the company will file for bankruptcy to protect itself from its numerous creditors. The Juul is still sold worldwide in Europe and Asia. Still, Altira, the tobacco company that bought 35% of the company only five years ago, recently divested its shares, so it continues to be on shaky ground.