Over the last decade, vapes have grown rapidly in popularity, especially among youth, as companies like JUUL marketed products with flashy colors and flavors appealing to kids. These practices resulted in a lawsuit and subsequent settlement with JUUL for their role in exposing kids to addictive nicotine products. The Kentucky General Assembly has the opportunity to put those settlement funds to best use with the biggest impact by directing upcoming dollars towards youth nicotine prevention and cessation programming.

This week, two Kentucky high school students joined state Senator Craig Richardson to make the case to the Senate Health Services Committee — watch here (beginning at 38:30).

Testimony from Ksensia: 

My name is Ksenia Miller, and I am currently a junior at Villa Madonna Academy in Kenton County. I want to first thank you for the opportunity to testify today in support of Senator Richardson’s bill, Senate Bill 74, to direct JUUL Settlement funds to youth nicotine use prevention and cessation programming.

In recent years, and with the legislature to thank, there has been tremendous progress toward a nicotine-free future for Kentucky youth. That’s why we continue to see declines in the use of products like e-cigarettes among young people in our state. Still, the percentage of Kentucky middle and high school students who use any nicotine product, but especially e-cigarettes, remains double the national average.

We all know that a new generation of youth like me, and even those much younger, has been addicted to nicotine after being targeted by marketing of these dangerous products, intentionally lured by fun colors and fruity candy flavors, and enticed by cool devices that now even include smartphone and gaming features.

Here’s what else I know. Every day, I see students in my community using nicotine products. E-cigarettes…nicotine pouches…they use them all and they use them all the time. Students have been addicted to these products because they were marketed as an outlet for stress; because advertisements with influencers near our age were regularly shown to them on social media; and most of all, youth use these products because we were strategically targeted by a manipulative industry…because JUUL wanted us to vape.

That’s the sad truth, but that’s what happened. And now, our students are underperforming in school because they’re sneaking out to the bathrooms to vape, unable to be the athletes they once were because their damaged lungs can’t handle the activity, and are facing a mental health crisis because JUUL promised us that their products were exactly what students like Delanie and me needed to relieve our stress.

I wish I could sit here today and ask that you help fix this issue by solving the youth nicotine use crisis just in Kenton County, but unfortunately, this is not an isolated issue. Every school in every county is impacted.

Testimony from Delanie: 

My name is Delanie Crump, and I am a sophomore at Boyd County High School in Ashland.

Just as Ksenia said, this issue knows no county lines. In my school, I see exactly everything Ksenia described as occurring in Kenton County. Students have been addicted to these dangerous products by an industry that uses deception as their primary marketing strategy. That is why there is zero doubt in my mind that the opportunity each of you have today to help move SB 74 forward is an important one. 

In 2022, Kentucky decided to help address the youth nicotine use crisis by joining a multi-state lawsuit against JUUL for marketing e-cigarettes to kids where we won a $14 million settlement. Those payments come into Kentucky over several years, but so far, they have not been directed for the purpose for which they are intended: to help educate kids on the dangers of nicotine use and to support those who are ready to quit using nicotine products.

Now is the time to allocate the remaining annual JUUL settlement funds to support youth struggling with nicotine addiction and prevent kids from ever using these products in the first place.

Kentucky will receive just over $1 million per year over the next three to six years, and directing this money to youth education to prevent first-time use–and to support kids who are using today make it their last–is the intended and best use of these funds. Thank you, Senator Richardson, for introducing SB 74 to make this allocation happen and ensure the remainder of these funds are spent on what they were won for.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, for hearing our stories and supporting Senator Richardson’s bill. Simply, we’re asking you to do what you know is right and take advantage of this opportunity to vote yes on a bill that will help protect Kentucky’s kids for years to come.

TAKE ACTION

Contact your state Senator and urge them to vote YES on Senate Bill 74 to direct JUUL settlement funds to youth nicotine use prevention and cessation programming.

Stay up-to-date on Senate Bill 74 and other Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children priority bills that are good for kids on our Kentucky General Assembly Bill Tracker.