Juul E-Cigarette Marketing to Minors Litigation

Consolidated in the Northern District of California in 2019, this massive multidistrict litigation brings together thousands of claims from school districts, local governments, state attorneys general, and individual users against Juul Labs, the maker of the once-dominant e-cigarette device. Plaintiffs allege that Juul conducted a systematic and deceptive marketing campaign — using social media influencers, youth-oriented imagery, and appealing flavors — that was specifically designed to hook underage consumers on nicotine. Internal company documents produced in discovery revealed executives were aware that a significant portion of their user base was under 18, yet continued to pursue aggressive youth-targeted strategies. School districts argue they were forced to divert substantial resources to combat vaping on campuses, fund addiction counseling, and install vaping detection equipment.

Juul has reached settlements exceeding $1.7 billion with dozens of states and thousands of school districts since 2022, including a landmark $438.5 million multistate settlement in 2022. In 2024, Juul agreed to a $150 million settlement with a second wave of school districts, with individual personal injury cases — particularly those involving young people diagnosed with nicotine addiction, lung injury (EVALI), or seizures — continuing to advance through the MDL. Juul's parent company Altria, which paid $12.8 billion for a 35% stake in Juul in 2018, has faced separate but related litigation over its role in enabling the youth marketing scheme. Individual bellwether trials have produced mixed results, keeping pressure on both defendants to resolve remaining claims.