States involved in the deal, which includes Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts and New Mexico, weren’t part of an earlier agreement Juul reached seven months ago to pay a total of $439 million to 33 states. California’s share of the new payout—$175.8 million—is the biggest, with New York getting $112.7 million.
“Today is another step forward in our fight to protect our kids from getting hooked on vaping and nicotine,” Bonta said in a statement. “Juul simply saw dollar signs,” and used “nefarious tactics” to “hook our children on their products,” including bright attractive ads, giveaways at concerts and festivals, and sleek, easily concealed products and “fun flavors” to ratchet up the amount of nicotine, Bonta said.
“Juul knew all along how dangerous and addictive its products were,” District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb said during the press conference. “It knew, but did not care. It chose to prioritize its profits over kids’ health and safety.”
