COLOMBIA – South Carolina’s fifth largest public school district has joined a class action lawsuit against Juul and other electronic cigarette manufacturers, claiming that its products have harmed students’ health.
Richland Two curator Amelia McKie said the February 9 decision was motivated “because of the addictive nature of vaporization, the potential for health problems and other consequences for our students, the negative impacts on our schools, including the need to address disciplinary and addiction issues. “
A copy of the district’s lawsuit could not be immediately provided to the Post and Courier.
In October, Lexington School District One became the first state to sue Juul, joining others from across the country along with city halls and individuals who are also suing the company.
Richland Two superintendent Baron Davis said adding the influence of a district with 27,000 students to the process was both a symbolic gesture and an attempt to hold steam makers accountable for the impacts of their products.
“Sometimes, as leaders, you face problems and lend your voice so that those who have no voice have the strength to do so. We have a big table at Richland Two and we have to work hard, ”said Davis. “It’s not always about us and how it affects us specifically.”
According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States of February 2020, more than 2,800 people have been hospitalized across the country because of pulmonary complications associated with electronic cigarettes, with 68 deaths. A 2019 survey of youth tobacco use found that 22% of South Carolina teenagers reported using electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days.
But due to a lack of specifics on how many Richland Two vape students, the party that had health problems because of that and without a clear understanding of how much money the district could recover if the process is successful, some trustees were reluctant to enter the process .
“I really don’t want to receive funding that could go to school districts that could actually use the money,” said curator Monica Elkins. “I can’t stand anything in the dark.”
Juul launched an assembly plant in Lexington County in May 2019 to make electronic cigarettes, a project that was expected to employ about 500 people. But the company closed last November, citing poor market conditions amid strong political resistance.
The closure also affected Flex, an international electronics manufacturer that was subcontracted to the vaporization company with a site in West Columbia near the Juul plant, near Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Before the agreement with Juul, Flex had around 230 full-time employees producing products for other industries.
Davis said that if the district receives a payment, profits can be used in a variety of ways, including creating a scholarship for students looking for a career in healthcare or more aggressive marketing and education campaigns about dangers of smoking.
Follow Adam Benson on Twitter @ AdamNewshound12.