Wake County Schools

Wake County schools consider taking legal action against Juul e-cigs

Wake County school leaders will discuss taking legal action against the country's largest makers of electronic cigarettes on Tuesday.

Posted Updated

By
Nia Harden
, WRAL reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — Wake County Public School System leaders will discuss taking legal action against the country's largest makers of electronic cigarettes on Tuesday.

In 2017, nearly 20 percent of all North Carolina high school students reported using an e-cigarette within the last month. That’s according to the state. If approved, Wake County would be the first school district in North Carolina to file a lawsuit against Juul, a vaping company.

More than 100 schools have already filed a suit.

Juul products has been accused of delivering high amounts of nicotine that lead to addiction. If filed, the lawsuit would support the 2019 pending case against Juul filed by North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein.

North Carolina was the first state to take legal action against Juul.

WRAL will be streaming tonight’s meeting at 5:30 on the WRAL News app.

The district will also review a plan to help improve students' mental health. All school districts are being required by the state to put together a plan and they have to submit something by July 1.

Some things on the plan presented are to hire more counselors, psychologists, social workers and nurses.

The district has received funding for this that will allow more schools to have a dedicated social worker assigned to the school full-time. They are currently not at recommended ratios of school social workers to students.

Another factor is student attendance and engagement and to strengthen the threat assessment process and train administrators.

Cumberland County Schools have gone a step further and created a new School Mental Health Advisory Council.

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