Wake County schools considering Juul lawsuit, voting on mental health plan
The Wake County Public School System will consider whether to file a lawsuit against Juul at a board meeting today. School leaders will consider whether to sue the country's biggest maker of e-cigarettes.
The meeting comes weeks after the e-cigarette maker agreed to pay $40 million to the state of North Carolina to settle another lawsuit while making changes to its business practices.
Last month, the board delayed a decision on a lawsuit against Juul Labs, Inc. Supporters of the lawsuit say the use of vape pens has skyrocketed, and puts students at risk of nicotine addiction.
The board will meet at 5:30 p.m. In 2019, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein filed a lawsuit against Juul for designing and marketing its product to young people.
"Juul must abandon all marketing strategies and content that appeals to young people. Juul will be prohibited from influencer advertising, outdoor advertising near schools, sponsoring sporting events and concerts, and most importantly, most social media advertising," Stein said.
Use of e-cigarettes increased among high-schoolers nationally by 78% and among by middle-schoolers by 48% within the last year. In recent years, public opinion has soured on Juul amid their growing contribution to the teenage vaping epidemic.
"Parents and the community all know the harmful effects of smoking," said WCPSS Board Chair Keith Sutton. "E-cigarettes are just as dangerous."
The start of school is a few weeks out for most students in Wake County.
WCPSS leaders are also set to vote on a plan to help with mental health after a year of virtual learning. The plan includes:
- A goal to hire more counselors, psychologists, social workers and nurses.
- Early intervention methods to improve student attendance and engagement.
The State board of education requires all districts to pass a school mental health improvement plan.
WRAL will stream the meeting on the WRAL News App.
