Juul Agrees to Pay West Virginia $7.9 Million to Settle Lawsuit

West Virginia’s Attorney General announced on Monday that a lawsuit with Juul Labs, an e-cigarette maker, was settled for a total of $7.9 million.

The smoking alternative company is accused of “unfair, deceptive acts or practices in the advertising and marketing of Juul products in the state, specifically targeting teenagers,” CNN reported.

West Virginia’s Attorney General, Patrick Morrisey, said the lawsuit puts Juul and other companies “in check” to not target underaged people with marketing. He also stated, “In Juul’s case, we have alleged it has deceived consumers about its nicotine strength, misrepresented the nicotine equivalency of its products to traditional cigarettes and understated the risks of addiction that occur with such powerful levels of nicotine.”

Juul has faced many lawsuits including a two-year investigation by 33 states in which the company agreed to pay more than $440 million, according to AP News. The investigation involved Juul’s marketing of its vaping products.

In a statement from Juul Labs, the company expressed its desire for some funds from the lawsuit to go towards interventions to “reduce the use of combustible cigarettes and improve public health in the state.” Juul Labs noted the fact that West Virginia has the highest cigarette-smoking rate in the U.S.

According to Juul Labs’ website, its mission is to “to transition the world’s billion adult smokers away from combustible cigarettes, eliminate their use, and combat underage usage” of its products.