Local schools will receive millions in a settlement with Juul labs Inc. over claims that the electronic cigarette company’s marketing strategies targeted minors.School districts across the country alleged in lawsuits that they had to funnel time and resources into combating the company’s advertising and educating children and teenagers on the dangers of e-cigarettes.A lawsuit filed by Richland 2 in 2021 said that use of Juul products by students impacted curriculum development and class time, and that staff has had to spend additional time addressing discipline and supervision issues. The district also saw increased counselor time spent on talking with addicted students, according to the lawsuit. Addressing the dangers posed by e-cigarettes, Juul in particular, will take a comprehensive approach, the district said.Here’s how much money local districts are eligible to receive, according to documents and the school districts.▪ Richland 1: $559,095.37▪ Richland 2: $856,283▪ Lexington 1: $829,853▪ Lexington 2: $137,224Attorneys fees, case costs and other expenses will be deducted from those amounts.Richland 1, Richland 2 and Lexington 1 have not decided where the settlement money will be allocated, according to spokespersons for the districts. Lexington 2 did not comment on what it might do with the money.Greg Turchetta, a Richland 2 spokesman, said a final settlement approval hearing is scheduled for Aug. 9, 2023.In 2020, the state attorney general’s office announced that South Carolina would join more than 30 other states in a bipartisan investigation of the e-cigarette company’s marketing and sales tactics.The investigation, led by Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, revealed that Juul engaged in an advertising campaign that appealed to youth, even though federal law forbids anyone under 21 from purchasing e-cigarettes, according to the Texas attorney general. The company used launch parties, advertisements with young models, social media posts and free samples to sell its products, the Texas attorney general found. The investigation also found that Juul’s early packaging did not clearly disclose the products contained nicotine, and the company sold e-cigarettes in various flavors to be attractive to young users, among other issues.Story continuesMore than 2.5 million middle and high school students use e-cigarettes, according to the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Eventually, claims across the country were consolidated in the United States District Court of northern California, according to Juul. The global resolution covers 5,000 cases brought against the company by about 10,000 plaintiffs, including nearly 1,500 school districts.“These settlements represent a major step toward strengthening Juul Labs’ operations and securing the company’s path forward to fulfill its mission to transition adult smokers away from combustible cigarettes while combating underage use,” the company said in a Dec. 6 statement.According to settlement documents obtained by The State, Juul negotiated to settled the case for $555 million, with $436 million to be allocated to school districts.Other school districts across South Carolina are also set to see money from Juul, including Charleston, Greenville, Horry, Berkeley, Dorchester, York, Florence, Pickens, Sumter, Orangeburg, Anderson, Kershaw, Spartanburg, Oconee, Georgetown, Cherokee, Chesterfield, Colleton, Dillon, Marlboro, Hampton, Fairfield, Clarendon, Jasper, Lee, Calhoun and Greenwood counties.
https://news.yahoo.com/midlands-schools-receive-millions-juul-093000474.html
Midlands schools to receive millions after Juul settlement. Here’s how much
