New York City Receives $27 Million in Juul Labs Settlement
New York City to receive $27 million in a year-old settlement against Juul Labs, the controversial vape pen maker, which was ordered to pay a total of $462 million in 'a legal settlement in April 2023, city and state officials announced Wednesday.
This amount is part of a larger $112,7 million allocated to New York State as part of the overall e-cigarette settlement. Five other states, including California and Illinois, as well as Washington, D.C., will also receive payments under the deal.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who sued Juul in 2019 for deceptive and deceptive marketing, said Wednesday that the money would be used for "education, prevention, research and enhancement programs." laws to prevent children and young adults from vaping. »
“Juul sparked a nationwide public health crisis and put addictive products in the hands of minors who thought they were doing something harmless,” she said during a press conference at Maxine Greene High School on the Upper West Side. “E-cigarette use among middle and high school students more than doubled after the introduction of Juul in 2015.”
A substantial portion of that, $14,9 million, will go to city schools. Mayor Adams' administration has not yet said how the rest of the money will be used, but it could be earmarked for enforcement efforts and public health research. Deputy Mayor Fabien Levy indicated that there are restrictions on the use of this money, in particular for the prevention of vaping, the cessation of nicotine and the strengthening of laws.
“This money allows us to think proactively about education and put a real program in place to address this problem,” Mayor Adams said. “This needs to be led by young people. This impacts our young people, and they are smart enough to find the right strategies and the right information to combat this situation which has really permeated their youth. »
One possible use of this money could be the disposal of seized vaping products. Manhattan City Councilwoman Gale Brewer stressed Wednesday that disposal remains a challenge because of the associated costs.
