Juul Labs plans to open a research facility in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA, reports WRAL.
The new facility is expected to create 35 full-time jobs, according to a company spokesman.
“We will continue to seek to earn the trust of key stakeholders, including local officials, as we advance the potential for harm reduction for adult smokers while combating underage usage,” Juul said in a statement.
In June, Juul Labs settled a lawsuit brought by North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, who accused the company of marketing its product to young people. Juul agreed to pay $40 million but denied wrongdoing or liability. North Carolina was the first state to take legal action against Juul.
At least 13 states, including California, Massachusetts and New York, as well as the District of Columbia, have filed similar lawsuits. The central claim in each case is that Juul knew, or should have known, that it was hooking teenagers on pods that contained high levels of nicotine.
A lawsuit brought against Juul by North Carolina’s Wake County Public School System is currently ongoing.
In 2020, e-cigarette usage decreased by 19.6 percent in high-schoolers and among middle-schoolers by 4.7 percent, according to the U.S. Federal Drug Administration. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contends nicotine can harm adolescent brain development.