Colorado schools to receive $11.4M to combat youth vaping

NEWS RELEASE
ATTORNEY GENERAL PHIL WEISER
********************
DENVER —  Attorney General Phil Weiser today announced that the Colorado Department of Law will collaborate with the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) to allocate $11.4 million in grants to schools to combat the youth vaping crisis. This funding stems from the attorney general’s multi-million dollar settlement with e-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs, Inc., ending a lawsuit against the company for targeting young people in its marketing and misrepresenting the health risks of its products.

“Colorado has a youth mental health crisis that has fueled a vaping epidemic. These funds will support solutions and preventive measures that will help our children to make informed and better decisions about their health and wellbeing,” said Weiser. “We are excited about our partnership with the Colorado Department of Education, which will help ensure that all Colorado schools have the opportunity to access and invest these funds.”

The Vaping Prevention Education Grant aims to bolster Colorado schools' capacity to tackle youth vaping through a comprehensive strategy that encompasses education, prevention, and treatment, which may include mental and behavioral health services. Up to $3.8 million in grants will be disbursed annually to local education providers serving K-12 for three consecutive years, starting in the 2024-2025 school year.

“The new Vaping Education Prevention Grant provides much-needed resources for our school districts and boards of cooperative educational services to support students in learning about making healthy and responsible choices,” said Colorado Education Commissioner Susana Córdova.

Building on the foundation laid by the School Health Professional Grant offered by CDE, programs receiving the Vaping Prevention Education Grant will incorporate all or some of the following priority criteria:

• Address the youth vaping crisis through education, prevention, or treatment;
• Provide professional development opportunities for school staff;
• Increase family and community involvement in promoting healthy lifestyles and choices for students;
• Include activities and programming that incorporate youth voices and are culturally responsive; and
• Adopt or enhance comprehensive vaping and drug prevention policies that include electronic nicotine delivery systems and move towards student-centered alternatives to suspension approaches.

In the 2023 Juul settlement, Colorado received $31.7 million. The CDE partnership is one part of a comprehensive, multifaceted approach to address the immediate and long-lasting health implications of underage vaping use that the Department of Law is pursuing. Earlier this year, the department issued a request for proposals to non-profit organizations, providing $6 million in funding opportunities to advance the same goals of this process, with grant awards set to be announced in July 2024. 

********************