Wake schools receive $6.2 million in Juul e-cigarette lawsuit to curb teen vaping
The Wake County school board approved a $6.2 million settlement Tuesday with e-cigarette giant Juul that will be used to curb vaping addiction in students.
Wake County was the first North Carolina school district to sue Juul in 2021. Wake joined school districts across the nation in accusing the company of marketing its products to make them more enticing to young people.
North Carolina has already won a $40 million settlement against Juul, the first state to challenge and force change in how Juul targets teens with its marketing.
Wake’s settlement is part of a $555 million global settlement with Juul Labs Inc. that resolves numerous cases brought by government entities, including school districts, cities and counties.
This settlement will provide additional resources to address youth vaping and youth nicotine use in the Wake County Public School System, officials say, advancing the district’s mission of educating about the dangers of youth nicotine use. The settlement will provide resources to abate youth nicotine addiction.
“Nicotine use is a serious health threat — and students are most at risk,” Wake Superintendent Catty Moore said in the district’s press release. “This settlement will support efforts to teach students about the importance of caring for their health and making responsible choices.”
Vaping use soars in Wake
E-cigarettes are electronic devices that utilize a liquid laced with nicotine that produces a vapor that users inhale. Their popularity caused the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to declare an “epidemic” of underage vaping among young people.
From 2018 to 2019, use of e-cigarettes rose 78% among high schoolers and 48% among middle schoolers, according to the N.C. Youth Tobacco Survey.
The Wake County school system saw a more than 1000% increase in e-cigarette violations among students between the 2016-17 and 2018-19 school year, The News & Observer previously reported.
When attorneys approached Wake about suing Juul, they told the district that no taxpayer money would be spent. The attorneys will only be paid out of the settlement money Wake will receive.
Since then, Juul has announced multiple settlements, including one earlier this month in which it agreed to pay $462 million to six states and the District of Columbia.
Lawsuit against Altria continues
The settlement doesn’t release claims against Altria Group, Inc., or its related companies that are also defendants in the federal or state litigation. Wake says it’s committing to continuing litigation against Altria.
Wake is continuing its lawsuit against the Altria Group, which used to be a part-owner of Juul. Altria has been accused in lawsuits of helping fuel the teen vaping epidemic by letting Juul use its sales force and including Juul advertisements in its Marlboro cigarette products.
Wake says it will “continue to be at the forefront of this issue in the state.”
“The settlement will make a significant difference in the public health fight against youth e-cigarette use, and will further advance WCBOE’s established health education work by providing meaningful resources to support prevention efforts and education around youth e-cigarette use,” school board chair Lindsey Mahaffey said in the press release.
This story was originally published April 25, 2023 at 10:17 PM with the headline "Wake schools receive $6.2 million in Juul e-cigarette lawsuit to curb teen vaping."
