Last March, Juul and Altria Group — one of the world’s biggest tobacco producers — reached a $300 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit that alleged the companies had understated the addictive properties of vaping and unlawfully marketed Juul products to minors. (In most states, the legal age to buy vaping products is 21.) This month, payments to 842,000 people who took part in the lawsuit started hitting their bank accounts. The cash settlements have ranged from a few cents to thousands of dollars. For some recipients, it wasn’t much, but for others, it was a life-changing amount. We spoke to four people who got their cash payments about how they’ll use the money and what it means to them.
Emma, 23, unemployed in Massachusetts
Amount received: $9,410
I’ve applied to class-action lawsuits before, but this Juul lawsuit was the only one that I put a lot of effort into, going through old Snapchat photos for evidence. I’ve spent so much money on Juul products over the years, and I bought my first Juul when I was 14. I had proof, too — a Snapchat photo that included the location, the time, and the date. My mom also let me order from the Juul website once, and I had that receipt. I think that’s why I got more money than a lot of other people — I was so underage.
The funny thing is a week before I got the settlement, I rage-quit my job. I was working at a restaurant and I just could not stand it. There was so much drama and I had to get out. But then I was like, Fuck, now I’m unemployed. I live with my mom and I need to move out but I can’t afford to. I was really down.
The Juul money was transferred into my Venmo account last Thursday. When I saw it, I just felt pure joy. I have a Venmo credit card that had a $2,500 balance, which was stressing me out, so I paid that off immediately. Then I called my mom and was like, “You’re never going to believe this.” And she was like, “Transfer it out of Venmo into your bank right now.” So that’s what I did. I had $2 in my savings account before this.
I was giddy that whole day. I was paying for people behind me in the Starbucks line. I took the day off from looking for new jobs, and I went out and got a Halloween costume. I’m going as a cowboy, but I just bought new jeans that I can rewear afterwards. I still have a poor mindset. I don’t want to waste this.
The weird thing is discovering that $10,000 doesn’t actually go that far. Everyone’s like, “Oh my God, you’re rich.” And I’m like, “Not really.” I’m putting $5,000 aside for when I move out and get my own place so that I can afford a security deposit and first month’s rent. I know that if I spend it on anything else, I’m going to hate myself — also, my mom will kill me. But between that and paying off my credit card, $10,000 turned into $2,000 real quick. And I’m still unemployed. No money’s coming in.
The way I see this is, I got a break, and I don’t want to mess it up. I want to find an actual big-girl job that I like instead of another restaurant job. I studied biology in college, and I’d love to go back to school and get into forensics.
Does this amount of money feel fair? Honestly, yeah, it does. Some of my friends are mad because they’ve been vaping for as long as me and they didn’t get anything. But I told them about the lawsuit and they didn’t sign up. I still vape too, and I still have a Juul. I can still find Juul products in most vape shops. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Caroline, 24, works for a marketing agency in Atlanta
Amount received: $1,728
I submitted my application to the lawsuit in March of 2023 after I saw an Instagram ad. I figured it would result in some sort of payout, and it only took me two minutes to fill out. But I’ve actually never bought any Juul products in my life. So I lied a little bit. On the claim, it said that if you had purchased under $300 worth of Juul products, you did not have to submit a receipt. The application had a box where you were supposed to upload proof, and I wrote a very brief note and uploaded it as a PDF. I said that I had paid for the Juul products in cash, so I didn’t have any receipts, but the amount I’d spent was probably around $280. And they accepted it.
I have used Juuls a few times, just my friends’ at college parties, when I was probably 18 or 19. I personally don’t like it. And tobacco of any kind has always been a big no-no, because my grandma was a smoker and she got lung cancer. So I’ve never been a vaper or a smoker.
A few days ago, I received $1,728 in my Venmo account. I thought it was a scam at first. I screeched when I saw it and I called my dad. Then I saw online that a lot of people were getting payments. That’s when I realized it was legit.
I pay off my credit-card balance every month, but this month I paid it off early. It was about $500. There was also this bracelet I’d been wanting for a long time. It’s from David Yurman and it cost about $1,000. So I bought that too. I had $200 left over and I was going to put it in savings, but my friends and I are planning to go to a black-tie gala for New Year’s Eve and the tickets just went on sale. So I used the rest on that.
I know I could have put this money toward my student loans or rent. But I budget to pay those bills every month. And since I wasn’t expecting this money, I decided to just treat myself.
I know it’s a little unfair that I got this money even though I didn’t actually buy anything from Juul. But at the same time, I was their target demographic. They were marketing to me for so many years when I was underage. All my friends vaped. So I don’t feel guilty taking their money. They had a harmful product and they advertised it irresponsibly.
Beth, 25, corporate technical writer in Florida
Amount received: $1,274
I saw something on TikTok about signing up for lawsuits and how you can get money from them. So I went on the website and saw one for Juul. I was like, Oh, I used that. I’ll sign up.
When I applied, they wanted receipts or bank statements that showed the Juul purchases I’d made. I didn’t have any, though, because I bought all my Juul stuff from a gas station. I was surprised I got so much money considering I didn’t have evidence.
I also had to put in my name, the year I was born, how long I was using Juul products, how long I’ve been vaping, and an estimate for how much money I’ve spent on them. That was a big number. When I started using them, they were $25 for a four-pack, and I was going through them every four days. I probably spent well over $4,000 in total.
Then, a year and a half later, I got an email from the lawsuit place that was like, “Here’s your money.” They sent it through a MasterCard and I had to download an app to access it and add it to my Apple wallet.
It was definitely more money than I was expecting, and it helps me a lot. I don’t think I’ll use it for anything specific — just bills and groceries and gas. I also have some credit card debt that I’m paying off. It’s about $2,500 between two cards. So I’ll put this money towards that, too. My take-home pay from my job is about $1,300 every two weeks, so getting this money is almost like an extra paycheck. I have student loans as well as rent, insurance, all that stuff. I don’t think it will really change much about my life or my behavior. If anything, I’ll just be looking into lawsuits more.
I’m still vaping now, but I stopped using Juul when they banned the mint flavor, four or five years ago. I was originally smoking cigarettes, and then I switched over to Juul because everybody was using it. It’s so tiny and easy to bring with you anywhere. I still miss the mint Juul pod. Nothing ever quite hits the spot like those did. I think about them all the time.
Matt, 28, works in public administration in Boston
Amount received: $144
I found out about the lawsuit more than a year ago through a social-media ad. I had forgotten that I filled out the form, so I was not expecting this money at all. I started using Juul products when I was in college, definitely underage. The $144 I got from the settlement is probably less than I spent on them. I no longer use them and haven’t for years, although I still have some of the unopened cartridges and the device and the charger and all that. Honestly, I just haven’t gotten around to throwing it out, but also, I know there’s a black market for them. After they were banned in Massachusetts, I bought some illegally from a convenience store that was still selling them. Maybe I’ll sell them on eBay as a collector’s item. Who knows?
I was a little disappointed in the amount. At first I was happy, like, Oh, I got some money. Then I was like, $144, really? Especially after seeing how much some other people got. I’ll put it toward paying bills, but I think with the amount of profit that Juul has made, the settlement seems like a slap on the wrist.
When I filled out the form for the lawsuit, they asked how many devices I’d purchased, how many cartridges, in what period of time. I don’t remember the exact details, but I imagine someone who said they had bought hundreds of cartridges could get more money than someone like me, who bought a few dozen. I used Juul products on and off for about three years. I started because I believed it was safer than cigarettes, and also because it was cool at the time — a lot of my friends were using them too. Then I stopped partly because of the national ban, and also because the design is bad. You get some of the juice on your lips and your mouth, and I didn’t like that. Also, when they banned the mint flavor, it became less appealing to me. In terms of the health effects, I dealt with throat irritation and nicotine withdrawal, things like that. Long-term, though, it’s too soon to say.
Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity and some names have been changed.
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