POLK COUNTY, Fla. — More school districts across the country are joining in a public nuisance lawsuit against the electronic cigarette company JUUL.
1,300 school districts in the U.S., 14 of which are in Florida, are participating in the lawsuit to hold JUUL accountable for many underaged people using the company's products.
On Tuesday during the Polk County Public School's work session, County Attorney Wes Bridges presented the school board with the lawsuit.
The attorneys involved will receive 25% of the total payout or settlement. The school districts involved will split the remaining 75%. If the lawsuit is lost, schools pay nothing.
For a school district to participate, two things need to be completed, which are that schools must agree to pay 25% of awarded money to lawyers involved and schools must also provide information on how vaping has impacted their district.
According to Florida Health, about 22% of high school students vape regularly.
"I don't see a downside to joining this litigation since essentially there is no cost to the district aside from what time would be involved," Bridges said.
On Tuesday, the school board formally voted to join the lawsuit, with members voting unanimously.
Bridges said he could not give an estimate as to how much money is at stake in this lawsuit. However, he said that he did tell board members if they won, the money received could be "substantial."
"My suggestion to you would be to let us sign up and see where it goes," Bridges said during the school board meeting. "If we get a great result, I'm sure our superintendent will find a way to spend that money. If it turns out it is nominal, we had a role to play in preserving the greater good."
Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Fred Heid and several school board members spoke in favor of the lawsuit. No school board members recommended against joining the lawsuit.
The first bellwether case is set for trial in November, leaving school districts looking to join the lawsuit little time left to decide.
"These lawsuits accuse JUUL Labs of using deceptive marketing strategies that targeted youth, endangering them with nicotine-containing e-liquids and leaving school officials to deal with the costs – in money, time and resources – incurred by students who have become addicted to JUUL," Beasley Allen Law Firm said in a statement.
Bridges said he estimates it will take staff six hours to compile the necessary data to show the impact vaping has on schools in Polk County.