Rochester-area schools gets $7.4M for anti-vaping measures from Juul lawsuit
Monroe County and Rochester-area schools will receive $7.4 million for anti-vaping efforts as part of a multi-state settlement with the company Juul, Attorney General Letitia James announced Tuesday.
Juul has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to 46 states to settle claims that it targeted teenagers with its e-cigarettes and vaping devices.
New York received $112 million, the second-largest sum behind California, in a multi-state settlement announced in April 2023. That money will be divided among the state's counties and regional BOCES as well as the five largest school districts, Rochester among them.
Monroe County will receive $2,294,000
Rochester City School District will receive $413,000
Monroe 1 BOCES will receive $693,000
Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES will receive $493,000
"JUUL preyed on young people across our state by putting addictive products into their hands and convincing them that they were harmless,” James said in a statement. "Their actions put a generation of children at risk, fueling physical and mental health problems among young New Yorkers."
The money can be spent in a variety of ways, including public service announcements, educational programs and public health resources.
"The funds allocated to our district will allow us to develop comprehensive programs aimed at combating the youth vaping epidemic," RCSD Board President Cynthia Elliott said in a statement. "By investing in education and prevention initiatives, we are taking significant steps towards protecting the health and well-being of our students."
As part of the settlement, Juul also agreed to curb advertising practices targeting young people. For instance, it is not allowed to use actors younger than age 35 in advertisements, or to provide free samples to customers.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester schools get $7.4M from Juul lawsuit for anti-vaping efforts
