美国国家公共电台 NPR--To settle state probes into teen vaping, Juul will pay nearly $440 million

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To settle state probes into teen vaping, Juul will pay nearly $440 million

Transcript¹

Electronic cigarette maker² Juul has agreed to a multi-state settlement. The states allege³ the company marketed aggressively to teenagers. It's the latest blow to a company under fire.

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E-cigarette maker Juul has agreed to pay out $440 million. This after an investigation⁴ found that the company illegally targeted children with an advertising⁵ campaign launched about seven years ago. Here's NPR's consumer health correspondent Yuki Noguchi.

YUKI NOGUCHI, BYLINE⁶: Juul is now paying for the popularity it garnered⁷ through its advertising on social media like TikTok and Twitter. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong made that clear in announcing the settlement.

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WILLIAM TONG: They used young and trendy looking models. Everything was sleek⁸ and technology focused. And it was clear they made a product that could be easily concealed⁹ when used by kids.

NOGUCHI: The $440 million settlement Juul agreed to pay will fund anti-smoking programs. Meredith Berkman co-founded Parents Against Vaping E-cigarettes. She thinks the move is a signal to the many other companies that followed Juul into the market.

MEREDITH BERKMAN: I think it sends a significant message to the industry that predatory behavior, the targeting of teens, is unacceptable. And there will be consequences.

NOGUCHI: But, Berkman says, the money will not undo¹⁰ the kinds of health effects, like addiction¹¹ and lung damage, that have stemmed from the sharp increase in vaping among young people.

BERKMAN: The health care costs for Juul's actions and what has happened since will be enormous. I mean, it will unfold for decades to come.

NOGUCHI: Berkman says she hopes Juul will be forced to pull its products from shelves. The Food and Drug Administration tried to do so earlier this year before Juul petitioned a court to delay its decision. The FDA is now reviewing the company's safety data again to decide whether they can stay on the market.

Yuki Noguchi, NPR News.

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