SPS vaping settlement

Earlier this month Seattle Public Schools (SPS) accepted approximately $1.75 million in proceeds from ederal lawsuits against vaping product-related manufacturers, distributors, and marketers.

Under a settlement with Juul Labs, an electronic cigarette company, SPS will receive $1.3 million over four years. A first $750,000 installment of the Juul settlement was scheduled to be paid by year’s end. Under the district’s settlement with Altria, a tobacco conglomerate that includes Philip Morris USA, SPS will receive about $400,000 in the first half of 2024.

Win is ‘a step in the right direction’

In a Dec. 20 release, District Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones said of the settlements: “The rise in youth vaping led the SPS team to pursue funding for increased education and prevention efforts for students, families, staff, and community. I am thrilled with the efforts of our teams that brought about this settlement and look forward to the increased support for SPS students.

Jones added: “The U.S. Surgeon General has characterized e-cigarette use by young people as a public health epidemic. This settlement marks a step in the right direction.”

The lawsuit against Juul Labs was filed in November 2019 after a dramatic increase in youth vaping and youth nicotine addiction. Among other relief, SPS sought funding for programs for addiction education and treatment.

The teen vaping epidemic

In 2023, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 22.2% of U.S. middle and high school students – 6.2 million kids – reported using a tobacco product at some point.

“E-cigarettes were the most commonly reported tobacco product among all students,” the CDC’s report found. Nearly 4.6% of middle schoolers and 10% of high schoolers using at the time of the survey. Other currently used tobacco products included cigarettes (1.6%), cigars (1.6%), nicotine pouches (1.5%), smokeless tobacco (1.2%), other oral nicotine products (1.2%), hookahs (1.1%), heated tobacco products (1.0%), and pipe tobacco (0.5%). Among students who had ever used e-cigarettes, 46.7% reported current e-cigarette use.

In a Seattle’s Children’s post on the topic, Dr. Yolanda Evans, associate professor of pediatrics in adolescent medicine at the hospital said: “With these highly addictive products becoming more popular and readily available, it’s important for parents to know what e-cigarettes are and how to discuss vaping with their children.”

Gender and other risk contributors

A study conducted by Canadian researchers found that more teenage boys than girls use e-cigarettes (40.0% compared to 31.3%) and cigarette smoking (4.4% compared 2.9%). A different study, published in the periodical Tobacco Use Insights found that physically active high schoolers are at higher risk vaping than their more sedentary classmates. And research published in November 2022 in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found:

Black and multiracial girls who identified as lesbian had higher rates of vaping than their heterosexual counterparts but among white girls, those who identified as lesbian had lower rates of vaping than their heterosexual counterparts.
Among boys, the patterns of vaping prevalence among sexual minority boys compared with heterosexual boys were similar — regardless of race or ethnicity.
Certain subgroups of sexual minority boys and girls were less likely to vape currently than their heterosexual counterparts.

The authors of the latter survey pointed out that previous surveys of gay and lesbian teens suggest that e-cigarette use might be a coping mechanism to deal with the stress of sexual orientation or gender identity-based discrimination or bullying.

Resources for talking to kids about vaping

Seattle Public Schools offers information and resources to families on its SPS Vaping and Youth webpage, including the following facts:

Vapes work by heating a liquid to produce an aerosol (aka vapor) that users inhale into their lungs.
The liquid can contain: nicotine, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabinoid (CBD) oils, and/or other substances and additives.
Vapes contain poisons, carcinogens, and toxic metals.
The most commonly used vapes by teens are disposable or pod-style vapes that come in many flavors and sizes.

How to talk with your child

For helpful resources on how to talk with you kids of all ages about vaping or other tobacco use, check out “What Parents Need to Know About Vaping” from Seattle Children’s Hospital.

When talking to kids about vaping, on the Seattle Children’s “On the Pulse” blog Evans recommended caregivers:

not have conversations during a crisis
have a set of expectations
have clear consequences if expectations aren’t met
get input from their teens about appropriate consequences
be prepared to discuss the risks of e-cigarettes with teens.
be ready to provide support and resources to help a youth already vaping to quit.
work with a primary care provider to create a plan for helping a child quit.
ask teens when and who they vape with to better understand the social dynamics of their use.

SPS suggests parents use the following resources to help build a framework for productive conversations with kids.

More Vaping Resources

Read more:

Talking to kids about tough topics

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