Attorney General James Announces Over $4.7 Million to Central New York to Combat Youth Vaping Epidemic

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.”

Attorney General Letitia James delivers over $4.7 million to Central New York that her office secured from JUUL to combat youth vaping.

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.

“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.”

“As underage vaping continues to proliferate, including in our schools, we need additional investments to ensure young people have the resources and support they need to make smart decisions to lead healthier lives,” said State Senator John W. Mannion. “I commend Attorney General Letitia James for holding companies like JUUL accountable for marketing harmful products to children, and for directing millions of dollars in necessary resources to our communities.”

“The threat to the well-being of our children in Central New York is in jeopardy as more young people turn to vaping,” said State Senator Rachel May. “It's clear that JUUL's predatory marketing strategies have significantly influenced our youth and increased rates of vaping. I am proud New York's Attorney General Letitia James has won a great victory in getting JUUL to change their practices and to provide resources for education and cessation services around vaping. I want to thank AG James for her diligent work in fighting for our young people.”

“I commend Attorney General James’ leadership in combating the youth vaping epidemic,” said Assemblymember Pam Hunter. “This distribution of funds from her historic settlement with JUUL will bring significant resources to Central New York to help address this serious issue. Vaping poses a grave threat to the health and safety of our young people. By holding JUUL accountable and directing these funds toward education, prevention, and enforcement programs, we are taking vital steps to protect our children from the dangers of vaping.”

“We thank Attorney General Letitia James for sending a message and holding JUUL accountable for the vaping epidemic,” said Assemblymember William Magnarelli. “The vaping epidemic has taken a toll on our communities, especially our youth. The money from this settlement will help provide resources to educate the youth on the dangers associated with vaping and e-cigarettes.”

“I'm truly grateful to Attorney General Letitia James for her relentless dedication to protecting our kids from the dangers of nicotine addiction,” said Assemblymember Al Stirpe. “This settlement is a big win in holding JUUL accountable for their harmful and predatory practices that have targeted our young people. JUUL's actions have undermined the well-being of our communities and put the health of future generations at risk. The funds from this settlement will be crucial in supporting prevention and education programs, ensuring a brighter and healthier future for everyone. Together, we can put an end to the youth vaping epidemic and protect our children's well-being.”

“I started my career as a social worker in the substance abuse prevention field and it's very encouraging to know that the results of Attorney General James' efforts will be put to good use, helping another generation of young people make better decisions about their health,” said Matthew Cook, OCM BOCES Superintendent. “When I was a kid, tobacco companies sold candy cigarettes as a way to lure youth into using their products.  What JUUL has done is the next generation version of the same practices and I'm pleased they have been held accountable.” 

“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.”

“Vaping is a leading public health threat to our young people and the companies that profit off this disaster deserve to pay,” said Alexander Marion, Syracuse City Auditor. “I’m proud Attorney General James is making this substantial investment in the Syracuse community where it will make a difference safeguarding the lives and health of young people.”

“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.”

The settlement was led by Senior Advisor and Special Counsel M. Umair Khan, Assistant Attorneys General Hailey DeKraker and Noah Popp, and Healthcare Deputy Bureau Chief Leslieann Cachola. The settlement was also brought about by the work of Assistant Attorneys General Sarah Millings, Michael Reisman, and Abigail Kasowitz; Consumer Frauds Bureau Chief Jane Azia; Senior Assistant Solicitor General Dennis Fan, Deputy Solicitor General Judith Vale; Special Assistant Attorney General Emily Auletta; former Deputy Director of Research and Analytics Megan Thorsfeldt and Data Scientist Jasmine McAllister; Chief Scientist Jodi Feld, Information Technology Manager Corey Nugent, Information Technology Specialists Hewson Chen and Paige Podolny; E-Discovery Document Review Manager Carol Cheng; Civil Recoveries Section Chief Martin Mooney; and former Special Counsel Morenike Fajana, former Healthcare Bureau Chief Lisa Landau, and former Section Chief Amy Schallop. The Division for Social Justice is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and the Division for Economic Justice is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Chris D’Angelo. Both the Division for Economic Justice and the Division for Social Justice are overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.