ANCHORAGE — The State of Alaska has reached a $5.8 million settlement with Juul Labs, ending a five-year legal fight that accused the company of marketing nicotine vaping products to young Alaskans, state officials announced Friday.

The agreement resolves claims first filed in November 2020 that Juul employed youth-focused marketing tactics — including a vaping device that resembled a USB flash drive and viral social media campaigns — designed to appeal to children and teenagers. State officials also say Altria Group, which once held a financial stake in Juul, provided marketing expertise and funding that supported those efforts.

Last year the state settled separately with Altria for $2 million, bringing Alaska’s total recovery from the litigation to $7.8 million. Officials said Alaska’s per-capita recovery ranks among the highest in the nation.

“This case took five years and a great deal of work from our public health and consumer protection teams, but it was worth it,” Alaska Attorney General Stephen Cox said. “We now have strong court-enforceable limits on how these companies can operate in Alaska, and we’ve obtained a per-capita recovery that ranks near the top nationally, with those dollars going straight into prevention and consumer protection.”

Throughout the litigation, teachers, school administrators and students testified that youth vaping had significantly affected adolescent health and behavior. State officials noted the Alaska Department of Health has spent nearly a decade addressing those impacts through tobacco prevention programs.

Recent health data shows vaping remains prevalent among young Alaskans, the Department of Health said.

“Alaska’s families need more education and options for real treatment and support, in addition to increased prevention and outreach to reverse this trend,” Alaska Department of Health Commissioner Heidi Hedberg said.

Under the settlement, Juul will pay the state over five years, with the first payment due this month. Half of the funds will support Alaska’s tobacco prevention and control programs; the other half will go toward consumer protection efforts, according to the Department of Law.

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This article was adapted from an original report published on alaskasnewssource.com. All rights belong to the original publisher.