The Redmond School Board unanimously voted Wednesday to join a multi-district lawsuit against e-cigarette company Juul. It’s the latest move in the ongoing fight against teen vaping.
The district says there were 388 vaping cases in schools in a four-year span. More than 80% were tobacco or nicotine related.
RELATED: Juul to pay nearly $440 million to settle states’ teen vaping probe
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The goal of the lawsuit is to hold Juul accountable.
“It causes a real disruption for the administrators and the time they’re putting in,” said Redmond School District Public Information Officer Holly Brown. “But more so the kids, especially if they’re addicted to nicotine and they’re sitting in a class in the classroom, you know, then maybe they’re preoccupied because they have this addiction that they’re thinking about while they should be learning instead.”
Juul agreed earlier this year to pay nearly $440 million in a settlement from a lawsuit by 33 states and Puerto Rico. The deal restricted how and where Juul can market its vaping products. But the company did not acknowlege any wrongdoing.
Oregon will receive at least $18.8 million of that money. The amount could increase to $20.5 million.
