State Settles Long-Running Lawsuit Against Juul, Altria

December 5, 2025

(Anchorage, AK) -After five years of litigation, the State has held Juul and Altria accountable for conduct it alleged targeted Alaskan youth with nicotine vaping products.

This week, Juul and the State agreed to a $5.8 million settlement of the State's claims, bringing to a close a case that began in November 2020. In January 2024, the State and Altria entered into a $2 million settlement, resolving the State's claims against Altria for the part the State alleged Altria had played in creating Alaska's youth vaping epidemic. The total settlement of $7.8 million places it among the highest in the nation on a per capita basis.

The State sued Juul and Altria over their marketing of Juul's vaping products to Alaskan children and teens. The State alleged Juul created a flavored product designed to resemble a USB flash drive and engaged in a viral social media marketing campaign, all of which was intended to be especially appealing to youth. The State also alleged that Altria provided its marketing expertise and financial resources to aid Juul's campaign.

As teachers, school administrators, and students attested during the course of the litigation, the youth vaping epidemic in Alaska has had a profoundly negative impact on youth health and behavior-problems which the Alaska Department of Health has been working to mitigate for nearly a decade through its Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. Resolution of the case required close collaboration between the Public Health team and Law's Consumer Protection team.

"This case took five years and a great deal of work from our public health and consumer protection teams, but it was worth it," said Alaska Attorney General Stephen Cox. "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."

"According to the most recent Youth Risk and Behavioral Surveillance System data, the use of vapes and other nicotine products is continuing to rise among our youth," said Alaska Department of Health Commissioner Heidi Hedberg. "Alaska's families need more education and options for real treatment and support, in addition to increased prevention and outreach to reverse this trend."

The State's $5.8 million settlement with Juul is payable over the next five years. The first payment arrives this month. The consent judgment specifies that half of the net proceeds must be used to fund Alaska's tobacco prevention and control programs and the other half must be used to fund the State's consumer protection programs.

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at [email protected] or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at [email protected] or (907) 269-6269.