Wake schools receives another $1.9M in vaping lawsuit

The school board approved the settlement Tuesday night with Altria, a maker and marketer of tobacco products. The company also owns a stake in JUUL Labs, which Altria has helped sale, market, promote and distribute JUUL products, according to a school system announcement of the settlement.

It’s the second settlement for Wake schools in a federal vaping case that also includes JUUL Labs.

The Wake County Public School System will put the money toward its existing efforts to educate students about the dangers of nicotine use and to reduce nicotine use.

“"This settlement is an important first step," Board Chairman Chris Heagarty said in a the school system’s announcement. "It's a win for the health of our students, and these funds will educate and protect our youth from the dangers of vaping, ensuring a healthier future for our community. But there is more left to do, especially as these companies alter their products to evade existing protections of our kids."

Altria announced in May that it had agreed to settle nearly all of its state and federal lawsuits, including those filed by hundreds of school boards nationwide, according to a company news release at the time.

The amounts with individual parties wouldn’t be determined for some months afterward.

“While we continue to believe the claims against us are meritless, we believe this settlement avoids the uncertainty and expense of a protracted legal process and is in the best interest of our shareholders,” Murray Garnick, Altria’s executive vice president and general counsel, said back in the May announcement.