Chelsea School District Joins Juul Lawsuit

Chelsea+School+District+Joins+Juul+Lawsuit

With growing concerns for students who are vaping, Chelsea School District joined a lawsuit against Juul and other vaping manufacturers regarding intentional marketing towards teens.

In 2019, several California school districts sued Juul Labs Inc., Altria, and other vaping manufacturers due to allegations of intentionally marketing their products to children. Recently, the Chelsea School District was alerted of the lawsuit and considered their means of joining.

“The district was alerted by the Board’s legal counsel of the lawsuit and our eligibility to join,” Superintendent Dr. Julie Helber said. “The Board of Education then had to vote to join the litigation by August 31, 2021.”

Chelsea School District, along with the 226 other school districts who have joined the lawsuit, are represented by Frantz Law group operating from California. The mission of the lawsuit ultimately being to protect students from the long term effects of vaping.

“I don’t believe we know just what kind of damage vaping products can have on a person’s health in the present and long term,” Dr. Helber said. “I worry that our students who are vaping may have health challenges in the future as a result.”

The Chelsea School District says they strive to provide knowledge for families and students concerning the dangers of vaping, and the hope is that the lawsuit and any money that is earned from it can help ensure this information is spread.

“Vaping has become the number one disciplinary infraction at Chelsea High School,” Dr. Helber said. “It is our hope that any monetary gain from joining this lawsuit can be used to help support our students in our efforts to oppose vaping and encouraging healthy lifestyles.”

Although Dr. Helber believes that the lawsuit doesn’t affect current Chelsea students directly, it allows the extra support that is needed for schools to secure the safety and health of their students when they need it most.