Local school district’s litigation is part of multi-million dollar global payout from electronic cigarette company.
FRAMINGHAM - Officials with Framingham Public Schools (FPS) announced on Monday, August 12, that the district will receive around $120,000 as part of a settlement with electronic cigarette company Juul Labs, Inc.
The settlement, which was finalized in a federal district court in San Francisco, is part of litigation against the company from plaintiffs across the globe. To date, settlements have totaled over $723 million. Juul Labs is currently on the hook for about $555 million, while investors Altira Group and Philip Morris USA have also reached nine-figure settlement payments. FPS’s settlement is set to be paid out over the course of three years as part of a resolution of around 1,600 cases worldwide with Juul. Others municipalities, school districts, and government stakeholders have recently had their litigation resolved.
Juul has come under fire in recent years, with numerous lawsuits filed claiming that their electronic cigarette products were advertised to minors while the company mislead consumers about the addictiveness and safety of vaping. Critics have accused Juul of sparking an epidemic of youth nicotine addiction; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that nearly 8% of middle and high school students in the United States used electronic cigarettes in 2023.
"The negative impact Juul has had on our youth is deeply concerning,” Framingham School Committee Chair Jessica Barnhill said in a statement.
“It's imperative that they are held accountable."
With the money obtained through the settlement with Juul, FPS officials said they will invest in more resources to prevent substance use such as vaping and to provide counseling for those impacted. The district will also be paying their legal team, Frantz Law Group, through the winnings from the settlement.
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