Juul brand name vape cartridges are pictured for sale at a store in Atlanta, Ga, U.S., September 26, 2019. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

(Reuters) – E-cigarette big Juul Labs Inc has agreed to shell out $14.5 million to settle a lawsuit by the point out of Arizona accusing it of fueling a vaping epidemic by marketing and advertising its solutions to minors.

The settlement, declared Tuesday by the place of work of Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, gives for $12.5 million to be set apart for anti-habit packages. The remaining $2 million will go to a general consumer security fund and litigation bills.

“Present day settlement holds Juul accountable for its irresponsible marketing endeavours that pushed Arizona minors towards nicotine and the dependancy that follows,” Brnovich mentioned in a assertion.

Under tension from regulators, Juul in 2018 pulled popular flavors these kinds of as mango and cucumber from retail retail outlet shelves and shut down its social media channels on Instagram and Fb. The firm on Tuesday mentioned it supported the anti-addiction provisions of the offer.

“This settlement is a different stage in our ongoing energy to reset our enterprise and we applaud the Legal professional General’s program to deploy sources to tackle underage use,” Juul explained in a statement. “We will carry on doing work with federal and condition stakeholders to advance a fully regulated, science-based mostly market for vapor solutions.”

Arizona is the next state to access an settlement with Juul around its marketing procedures. The firm earlier agreed to pay back $40 million to resolve a identical lawsuit by North Carolina.

Juul’s e-cigarettes resemble USB flash drives and operate by…