Bill would establish Vaping Settlement Trust Fund to support prevention programs

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – State Rep. Robert Duvall, R-Bowling Green, has filed legislation that would establish the Vaping Settlement Trust Fund to administer $14 million transferred to the state of Kentucky following the settlement of a multi-state lawsuit with Juul Labs Inc.

“Vaping is dangerous and has become an epidemic for our youth,” Duvall said. “Children as young as elementary school-aged have become exposed or addicted to vaping devices since their popularity began to rise in the late 2010s. We must invest in prevention and cessation programs for our youth and protect the investment through state law.”

In 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that 45 percent of Kentucky high school youths used electronic vapor products, a higher rate than the national estimate of 36 percent. During the rise in popularity of vaping products, Juul Labs Inc. promoted a discreet device that high school students often use.

House Bill 187 would place the settlement funds into a Vaping Settlement Trust Fund within the Kentucky Treasury to fund tobacco product and vaping prevention and cessation programs.

“We cannot undo the damage caused by vaping, but we can take proactive steps toward prevention and cessation to mitigate further harm,” Duvall stated. “The General Assembly has made it clear that youth vaping and access to unregulated vaping products is harmful and not in the best interest of the Commonwealth. HB 187 responsibly allocates funds to promote a healthy lifestyle for our students. It ensures that the money settled with the Commonwealth is invested in programs designed to protect them."
The multi-state settlement totaled nearly $435 million, divided among 34 states.

Kentucky was joined by Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming in the final agreement.