King County settles lawsuit with Juul over youth vaping and nicotine addiction concerns

SEATTLE — Following three years of litigation, King County has settled its lawsuit against the company that produces Juul electronic cigarettes over youth vaping and nicotine addiction concerns, officials announced Wednesday.

In 2019, King County filed a class action lawsuit against Juul Labs, Inc. alleging that it “compelled a generation of youth, who were never cigarette smokers, into nicotine addiction and put them at risk for severe lung injury or other health harms.”

The county’s settlement with the company is part of a global settlement resolving numerous cases brought by government entities such as counties, cities and school districts.

“There’s no higher priority than the health and well-being of our kids, and we can’t let the progress we’ve made be threatened by persistent youth nicotine use,” said Executive Dow Constantine in a news release.

The settlement will provide resources for efforts to prevent nicotine use among youth in King County and provide support to those who are already using tobacco and vape products and looking to quit.

“The investments we make from this settlement will pay off for lifetimes in less illness, suffering, and deaths from preventable diseases caused by tobacco and nicotine use,” said Dr. Faisal Khan, Director for Public Health – Seattle & King County.

In a news release, officials confirmed King County would continue its litigation against tobacco giant Altria. In a 2019 complaint, the county alleged that the company worked to “maintain and expand JUUL’s market share despite knowing it is based on epidemic levels of youth vaping.”

Juul was also ordered to pay $22.5 million in April 2022 following a lawsuit filed by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson. That lawsuit, filed in 2020, said the e-cigarette company violated state law when it designed and marketed its products to appeal to underage customers.

The Food and Drug Administration briefly banned the sale of all Juul electronic cigarettes in the U.S. in June 2022, following a two-year review of the company. The ban was put on hold following an appeal, pending an additional review of Juul’s marketing application.

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