New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that the Capital Region will receive over $6.6 million from a historic $462 million multistate settlement secured from JUUL Labs Inc. (JUUL) for its role in the youth vaping epidemic. New York state will receive a total of $112.7 million through this settlement, which Attorney General James will distribute to every county, Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), and the five largest cities in the state to support programs aimed at reducing and preventing underage vaping.
“E-cigarettes are dangerous and addictive products, but JUUL launched its business by marketing them to children and deceiving its customers about the harm they cause,” said Attorney General James. “Young people across our state are now facing serious mental and physical health challenges because of JUUL’s tactics. The funds from this settlement will help leaders in the Capital Region tackle the youth vaping epidemic and reach the most vulnerable kids in their schools and communities.”
The funds will be distributed among counties and BOCES in the Capital Region as follows:
Counties:
- Albany County: $1,055,715.55
- Columbia County: $285,180.93
- Greene County: $292,672.78
- Rensselaer County: $605,331.97
- Saratoga County: $984,376.05
- Schenectady County: $523,014.31
- Warren County: $381,885.14
- Washington County: $419,833.43
BOCES:
- Capital Region BOCES: $1,062,991.22
- Questar III BOCES: $468,013.79
- Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES: $596,111.01
Following JUUL's launch in 2015, e-cigarette use among New York high school students surged significantly by 2019 leading to a national outbreak of severe vaping-related illnesses with more than 2,500 hospitalizations reported.
In November 2019, Attorney General James sued JUUL for deceptive marketing practices targeting young people and glamorizing vaping while misrepresenting product safety.
The settlement funds must be used for evidence-based measures including public education campaigns to prevent e-cigarette use among young people; community-based anti-vaping programs; vaping cessation services; enforcement of vaping laws; and public health research into e-cigarette use among young people.
Additionally required changes include:
- Refraining from youth-targeted marketing.
- Limiting retail and online purchases.
- Performing regular retail compliance checks.
- Treating synthetic nicotine as nicotine.
- Refraining from providing free or nominally priced samples.
Local officials expressed their support for these measures:
“This welcome funding is a win for public health," said State Senator Jake Ashby.
"Today's allocation marks a crucial step in fighting youth vaping," said Assemblymember John T McDonald III.
Assemblymember Scott Bendett emphasized that "the funds will enable us to start educational campaigns."
Assemblymember Angelo Santabarbara noted that "companies must prioritize community well-being."
"This settlement proves what we already knew," said Gary Hughes of Schenectady County Legislature.
The legal team involved included Senior Advisor M Umair Khan along with Assistant Attorneys General Hailey DeKraker and Noah Popp among others.