Colorado has earmarked $20 million from a $31.7 million lawsuit settlement with e-cigarette giant Juul Labs Inc. to fund a grant initiative aimed at enhancing youth mental health, announced state Attorney General Phil Weiser on Tuesday.
The grant program, designed to prioritize collaborations between school districts and community organizations, seeks to address children’s mental health issues as a preventive measure against vaping.
Weiser emphasized the importance of addressing the root causes of youth vaping, stating, “We know that because of mental health issues, people turn to substances like vaping. That’s why we’re going to the source to ask: How do we build better connections?”
The implementation of the program will be left to the discretion of the school districts, which will have the opportunity to apply for grants later in the year. Weiser highlighted the intention behind the extended timeline, aiming for districts to engage in collaborative efforts with each other and local community organizations to devise programs fostering connections among young people and trusted adults.
“We do not want to prescribe what you need to do,” Weiser affirmed during the Colorado Education Initiative summer conference, where he unveiled the initiative. “We want to offer a broad opportunity around holistic youth mental health and leave it to you to think about what collaboration, what partnership, what strategies make sense in your community.”
Colorado initiated legal action against Juul in 2020, alleging the company’s deceptive marketing targeted youth and downplayed the health risks of vaping. The state reached a settlement with Juul, with the company not admitting to any wrongdoing.
According to data from the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, 30% of Colorado high school students reported having vaped at least once, with 16% indicating vaping within the last 30 days.
The $20 million grant program represents the largest allocation of the Juul settlement funds, with two other programs already underway: a $6 million grant initiative for nonprofit organizations and government agencies, and an $11.4 million grant program for school districts to address the youth vaping crisis.
Weiser highlighted the potential impact of collaboration in the grant program, emphasizing that schools have the flexibility to partner with various community entities. Grants will be allocated based on student population, with larger districts eligible for higher funding amounts over a three-year period.
Colorado’s proactive approach in allocating settlement funds towards youth mental health initiatives underscores its commitment to addressing the multifaceted challenges facing its youth population.
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