Truth Initiative Applauds Landmark Multistate JUUL Settlement and Encourages States to Utilize Proven-Effective Programs to Accelerate Progress to End Youth E-Cigarette Crisis

Statement by CEO and President Robin Koval

Truth Initiative commends the attorneys general of six states and the District of Columbia for their bold leadership resulting in the largest settlement against JUUL to date, and for holding the tobacco company accountable for its undeniable role in igniting the persistent youth e-cigarette crisis. By imposing stringent restrictions on the sales, marketing and distribution of JUUL products, this settlement also represents the most comprehensive measures ever taken against the company to end the deceptive youth targeted promotion of these highly addictive, flavored nicotine products.

We are pleased to know that the settling states of California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York and D.C. will use the $462 million settlement to address the serious youth public health crisis left in JUUL’s wake and perpetuated by the tobacco industry at large which threatens the physical and mental health of young people nationwide.

2.5 million middle and high school students in the U.S. used e-cigarettes last year alone, with 46% of high schoolers who vape doing so almost daily. We at Truth Initiative have been hard at work developing proven and effective programs to help young people learn the dangers of vaping nicotine and, if needed, to help those using e-cigarettes to quit. We encourage officials in each of the states participating in the settlement to join with us and accelerate the progress of our already successful programs, including:

• Educating youth on the harms of vaping nicotine, which Truth Initiative does through the national and proven-effective truth brand, whose latest Breath of Stress Air prevention campaign addresses the connection between nicotine use and mental health;
• Quit vaping programs for youth and young adults, such as first-of-its-kind text message program This is Quitting from truth that has enrolled more than 560,000 young people nationwide to-date;
• Community and school-based programs, such as the Vaping: Know the truth curriculum which is already being used in more than 6,000 schools nationwide; and
• Monitoring and researching the impact of nicotine on young people, an effort which Truth Initiative’s Schroeder Institute has been leading for decades, most recently filling the vast knowledge gap on e-cigarettes.

We are proud to already work with the settling states of New York, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. to successfully deploy This is Quitting locally, and we hope to expand our partnership with these states and those participating in today’s announcement to create customized programs.

With the persistence of the youth e-cigarette crisis, this is a major opportunity to reverse the damage caused by the tobacco industry so that states can hit the ground running with youth prevention and quitting resources that are changing behavior and proven to work. Together, we have an opportunity to educate young people, prevent them from ever starting to use tobacco products in the first place, and help them quit if they do. Truth Initiative is grateful for this important milestone and stands ready to work with the states who are part of this landmark settlement and all states across the country to protect millions of young people from the harms of nicotine use and the risks of addiction.