New York Attorney General Letitia James has allocated over $16.4 million to combat youth vaping on Long Island. This distribution is part of a larger $462 million multistate settlement with JUUL Labs Inc. for its role in the rise of underage e-cigarette use nationwide.
Suffolk County will receive over $8.8 million, and Nassau County will receive more than $7.5 million from this settlement. The funds are intended to support programs aimed at reducing and preventing underage vaping across New York State.
“JUUL lit a nationwide public health crisis after it misled children about how dangerous and addictive its products are,” said Attorney General James. “As a result of my office’s legal action against JUUL, Long Island now has over $16 million to invest in education, prevention, enforcement, and research to curb the youth vaping epidemic.”
Since JUUL's launch in 2015, e-cigarette use among New York high school students surged, leading to numerous severe vaping-related illnesses by 2019. In November 2019, Attorney General James sued JUUL for deceptive marketing practices that targeted young people. By April 2023, she secured the largest multistate agreement with JUUL and its executives.
The settlement requires JUUL to make significant changes to its sales and marketing tactics, including refraining from targeting youth in advertisements and limiting retail purchases.
New York State Senator Monica R. Martinez expressed her support: "This settlement's funding will help dissipate the clouds of deception that have encouraged youth e-cigarette use across Suffolk County."
State Assemblymember Phil Ramos added: “Attorney General James has secured another victory for working families targeted by companies like JUUL.”
The funds will be used for various initiatives including public education campaigns, community-based anti-vaping programs, enforcement of vaping laws, and public health research into e-cigarette use among young people.
Assemblymember Michaelle C. Solages stated: “Accountability is crucial in tackling this crisis,” while Assemblymember Charles D. Lavine noted the importance of educating young people on the dangers associated with vaping.
Various other state legislators and local officials also commended Attorney General James for her efforts in securing this settlement and emphasized the importance of using these funds effectively to protect young people's health.
The Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (LICADD) praised the allocation as a critical step in safeguarding youth from harmful nicotine products marketed by companies like JUUL.
"The youth vaping epidemic is a public health crisis manufactured to harm young people," said Erin Kennedy, a former East Hampton High School student involved in advocacy against vaping.
The distribution aims to provide essential resources for implementing educational and therapeutic programs addressing underage vaping across different communities on Long Island.