Funds from $112.7 Million Settlement with JUUL for its Role in the Youth Vaping Epidemic
Money Will Help Young New Yorkers Quit Vaping and Support Anti-Vaping Programs
New York – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced more than $4.7 million for Central New York from a historic $462 million multistate settlement that she secured from JUUL Labs Inc. (JUUL) for its role in the youth vaping epidemic that led to a dangerous rise in underage e-cigarette use nationwide. 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 that will help reduce and prevent underage vaping.
“Like the big tech companies that have fueled a mental health crisis among young people with their addictive products, JUUL marketed its dangerous and addictive vapes to children, putting millions at risk,” said Attorney General James. “Across our state, e-cigarette use among kids spiked after JUUL hit the market. I’m proud that my office ensured JUUL paid for the damage they did to young people. The funds we secured will help schools and communities in Central New York fight back against the youth vaping epidemic. I thank all of my partners in government for their partnership in this effort to protect our children.”
The funds will be split between the Syracuse City School District, and counties and BOCES in Central New York:
Counties
- Cayuga County will receive $397,684.96
- Cortland County will receive $276,771.10
- Madison County will receive $396,519.43
- Onondaga County will receive $1,452,272.89
- Oswego County will receive $582,809.54
School Districts / BOCES
- Syracuse City School District will receive $322,481.76
- Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES will receive $188,908.33
- Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES will receive $857,352.80
- CiTi BOCES in Oswego will receive $299,339.81
After JUUL launched in 2015, e-cigarette use among New York high school students skyrocketed. By 2019, the proliferation of vaping led to a national outbreak of severe vaping-related illnesses, with more than 2,500 hospitalizations. In October 2019, a 17-year-old male from the Bronx died due to a vaping-related illness, making him the first reported vaping-related fatality in New York, and the youngest vaping-related fatality in the United States.
In November 2019, Attorney General James sued JUUL for its deceptive and misleading marketing that glamorized vaping and targeted young people. In April 2023, Attorney General James secured the largest multistate agreement with JUUL and its former directors and executives for their role in fueling the youth vaping epidemic. JUUL misled consumers about the nicotine content of its products, misrepresented the safety and therapeutic value of its products by stating that they were safer than cigarettes, and failed to prevent minors from purchasing its products in stores across the country.
The settlement funds will be used for evidence-based measures to combat underage vaping and e-cigarette addiction. Counties and BOCES must dedicate the settlement funds they receive to programs in five categories:
- Public education campaigns to prevent e-cigarette use among young people.
- Community, school, and university-based anti-vaping programs.
- Vaping cessation services in communities, schools, and colleges.
- Enforcement of vaping laws and regulations.
- Public health research into e-cigarette use among young people and the effectiveness of anti-vaping programs.
In addition to paying New York $112.7 million, the settlement required JUUL to make significant changes to its sales and marketing tactics, including:
- Refraining from any marketing that targets youth, including using anyone under the age of 35 in promotional material or funding, operating youth education/prevention campaigns, or sponsoring school related activities.
- Limiting the amount of retail and online purchases an individual can make.
- Performing regular retail compliance checks at five percent of New York’s retail stores that sell JUUL’s products for at least four years.
- Treating synthetic nicotine as nicotine.
- Refraining from providing free or nominally priced JUUL pods as samples to consumers.
- Excluding product placement in virtual reality systems.
- Increasing funding to a document depository by up to $5 million and adding millions of relevant documents to the depository to inform the public on how JUUL created a public health crisis.
Sample of Local Leaders Response to the Attorney General’s Action Against JUUL
“The deceptive marketing by JUUL resulted in countless numbers of our youth, becoming addicted to nicotine and seriously jeopardizing their health,” said Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon. “Thanks to the Attorney General, they have now been held accountable. With these funds we will be able to accelerate our efforts to mitigate the damage done by JUUL and educate our youth on the dangers caused by smoking.”
“The youth vaping epidemic is a matter of public health,” said Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh. “Last year in Syracuse, we signed into law a new licensing requirement that restricts the placement of new tobacco retail locations near schools and parks to reduce the number of individuals of all ages who use tobacco products and electronic smoking devices and, importantly, to stop the sale of these products to minors. Funds from this JUUL settlement will help achieve these goals through more proactive education and prevention work, and I thank Attorney General James for her commitment to our children’s health and safety.”
“On behalf of the Syracuse City School District, I extend my deepest gratitude to the Attorney General for the funds from the JUUL vaping settlement,” said Anthony Davis, Syracuse City School District Superintendent. “This much-needed financial support will enable us to implement crucial anti-vaping programs and education to support the health and well-being of our students. We are committed to using these funds to create a safer and healthier environment for our children, and we commend the Attorney General’s dedication to addressing the impact of vaping on our schools.”
“Tobacco-Free CNY thanks Attorney General James for taking a stand against JUUL’s deceptive marketing practices and fighting to protect the health of New York State youth from the current youth vaping epidemic,” said Karyn Johnson, Program Coordinator for Tobacco-Free CNY. “Tobacco-Free CNY and the Onondaga County Health Department are thankful for additional resources to assist with community education, cessation, and to further strengthen compliance and enforcement of e-cigarette laws and regulations.”
