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Juul agreed to pay at least $438.5 million in a settlement with more than 30 U.S. states, the latest step by the beleaguered e-cigarette maker to resolve allegations that it marketed its products to underage users.⁠ ⁠ Under the deal, which includes 33 states and Puerto Rico, Juul is barred from depicting people under 35 in its marketing, product placements in film and television, advertising on billboards and social media, selling Juul-branded merchandise and funding education programs in schools, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said Tuesday.⁠ ⁠ The total settlement amount could increase depending on how long Juul takes to make its payments, Tong said. He said Juul had engaged in “predatory marketing” and cited the toll that underage vaping has taken on families. The agreement follows an investigation begun in 2020 by a consortium of 39 states.⁠ ⁠ Since last year, Juul has agreed to pay a total of $87 million in settlements with four other states that brought lawsuits against the company, including Louisiana, Arizona and North Carolina. Thousands of other lawsuits against Juul are pending, including cases brought by nine other attorneys general.⁠ ⁠ Juul in 2018 soared to the top of the e-cigarette market and drew criticism from regulators and school administrators, who blamed the company’s sleek vaporizers, fruity flavors and hip marketing for fueling a surge in underage vaping. The company since then has been trying to regain the trust of regulators and the public. It limited its marketing and in 2019 stopped selling sweet and fruity flavors. The company on Tuesday said the settlement was part of its effort to resolve issues from the past.⁠ ⁠ Read more at the link in our bio.⁠ ⁠ Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images