But a group of e-cigarette users are suddenly finding themselves with a little extra cash, thanks to a massive class action settlement involving one of America's tobacco giants.
In online forums and on social media this week, users of Juul Labs nicotine products have been posting screenshots of online deposits for hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars that they now have access to.
Juul agreed to a settlement in 2022, but the Altria settlement, which was needed to kickstart payouts, was not approved until earlier this year.
And it was only this month that claims for the approximately 842,000 eligible Juul customers began to be verified.
Vaping remains mired in controversy in the U.S., as e-cigarette companies and federal regulators continue to haggle over the products’ health effects and marketing guardrails.
Persons:
Juul, Altria, Vaping
Organizations:
Food and Drug Administration
Locations:
Juul, U.S