Illinois to Use $24 Million Juul Settlement to Support Youth Vaping Prevention Programs

SPRINGFIELD – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that $24 million from the 2023 Juul Labs settlement will fund statewide efforts to prevent youth vaping through Truth Initiative, the nation’s largest nonprofit focused on ending nicotine addiction in young people. The funding will support the EX Program, a digital quitting resource developed with Mayo Clinic, along with a statewide media campaign and the “Vaping: Know the Truth” curriculum for schools. The curriculum, created with Kaiser Permanente and the American Heart Association, will be delivered through EVERFI and used in middle and high schools across Illinois. Truth Initiative will also host college campus events to promote quitting and encourage peer support. The project follows a multi-state lawsuit against Juul, which resulted in a $462 million settlement, with Illinois receiving a portion to invest in public health programs targeting the vaping crisis.