Joining a number of other school districts from across the state, Campbell Union High School District is suing JUUL Labs, one of the most prominent e-cigarette companies in the county.
The lawsuit, also filed by Los Angeles Unified, San Diego Unified, Glendale Unified, Compton Unified, King City Union, Ceres Unified, and Anaheim Elementary School District, alleges negligence and nuisance claims against JUUL for disrupting the educational and learning environment across the district.
Campbell Union filed its suit in Santa Clara County Superior Court on Wednesday, January 22.
“JUUL marketed these dangerous and addictive products to youth without warning,” said CUHSD Superintendent Dr. Robert Bravo.
Studies released last August showed high rates of vaping among Santa Clara County teens, with 31 percent reporting having ever tried an e-cigarette and 13 percent identifying as current users.
Underscoring the disruption to classroom life, Campbell Union’s suit seeks action to stop what it terms the “e-cigarette epidemic” and its interference with normal school operations. The organization is also seeking to recoup costs due to student absences, greater anti-vaping education programs, and increased staff enforcement to monitor e-cigarette use on campuses.
According to data shared by the District, youth e-cigarette use increased by 1.5 million users between 2017 and 2018, which they attribute to JUUL’s marketing strategies.
Bravo echoed this sentiment, stating, “We are in the business of educating students, not cleaning up JUUL’s health crisis.”
A hearing on the case is not likely to happen for several months, given the complexity of the matter.