More than $17 million in settlement money from a nationwide lawsuit against electronic cigarette maker Juul Labs will be distributed to schools and organizations across Colorado to curb teen vaping, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office announced Tuesday.
The $17.4 million in funding — which comes from a nearly $32 million settlement Juul Labs agreed to pay the Colorado Attorney General’s Office in April of 2023 over marketing practices aimed at teenagers — will be spread across 42 schools, government entities and nonprofit organizations, according to a Tuesday news release from the Attorney General’s Office.
Juul Lab’s $31.7 million payment to Colorado was part of a larger $462 million settlement the e-cigarette company paid to six states and the District of Columbia to settle claims that the company illegally marketed its electronic cigarettes to young people and misrepresented the health risks associated with vaping.
An estimated 30% of Colorado high school students have tried vaping, which is slightly higher than the estimated 20.8% of pupils who have ever smoked a cigarette, according to the state Department of Public Health and Environment’s2021 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey.
The programs funded by a series of grants from the $17.4 million chunk of the settlement will focus on education, prevention and treatment of youth vaping, including mental and behavioral health services, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
“By investing in these organizations, we are taking a critical step toward protecting our youth from the dangers of vaping,” Attorney General Phil Weiser stated in the news release. “This funding will empower communities to educate our young people about the risks, implement preventive measures and provide essential treatment for those affected.”
The grants were awarded through two programs: one for nonprofits and government entities, and another for school districts and charter schoolsin partnership with the Colorado Department of Education, the Attorney General’s Office said.
The Combating Youth Vaping in Colorado Grant awarded $6 million to nonprofits and government entities, including:
Servicios de La Raza. The team received $950,000 to create a bilingual cessation programs for Latino youth and launch a youth-led prevention program with educational outreach.
Colorado’s Boys & Girls Club. The program received $855,979 to implement prevention programs and community engagement activities in 50 clubhouses across the state.
Denver Department of Public Health and Environment. The department received $541,158 to deliver trauma-informed counseling, nicotine replacement therapy and community engagement with support from a Youth Advisory Board.
Rocky Mountain Center for Health Promotion and Education. The center received $800,000 to “enhance protective factors against youth substance use” and train adults to build strong connections with youth in family, school and community settings.
The University of Colorado/Colorado School of Public Health’s UpRISE program. The program received $544,018 to expand a youth-led social justice movement for tobacco control, provide educational programs, build organizational partnerships and engage a diverse youth action board.
The Colorado Department of Law is also working to award $11.4 million to school districts, charter schools and educational services agencies over the next three years.
“We are pleased to award this grant funding to fight the youth vaping crisis by providing resources for education, prevention and treatment in our Colorado schools,” said Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova. “Our goal is to give local educators the tools they need to address the health impacts of vaping on our youth.”
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Originally Published: July 9, 2024 at 3:58 p.m.
