SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY — The percent of Sullivan County’s adult population that uses e-cigarettes every day—or even just some days—is among the highest in the state—8.3 percent, according to 2021 data from the New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH). The county hopes to bring that percentage down with new funds from a legal settlement with e-cigarette manufacturer JUUL, and would use those funds to expand the county’s e-cigarette prevention and mitigation programs. 

E-cigarette prevalence has increased nationally and across the state since 2017. The prevalence of vaping is much higher among youth and young adults than it is for older adults—across New York State, 18.7 percent of high schoolers vaped in 2022, according to the NYS DOH.

Sullivan County and the Sullivan Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) are set to receive part of a multistate settlement totaling $462 million dollars from JUUL Labs Inc. (JUUL) a popular e-cigarette brand. 

NYS received a total of $112.7 million through the settlement for JUUL’s role in the youth vaping epidemic that led to a “dangerous” rise in underage e-cigarette use nationwide, according to a press release from state attorney general Letitia James.

Though many of the long-term health effects of e-cigarette use are not yet known, a multistate outbreak of lung disease, sometimes referred to as “popcorn lung,” is being studied in connection with e-cigarettes. The NYSDOH says that aside from the nicotine content of e-cigarettes, which poses unique risks for youth users, the aerosols from heated e-liquids can contain other harmful chemicals, such as formaldehyde and benzene, which are known to cause cancer; diacetyl from flavoring, which is linked to lung disease; and heavy metals, such as cobalt, nickel, tin and lead. If the e-liquid is swallowed or absorbed, people can be poisoned, and defective e-cigarette batteries can cause fires and explosions, according to the NYSDOH.

John Liddle, commissioner of Sullivan County Health and Human Services, told the River Reporter the county and Sullivan BOCES are expected to receive $480,000 and $150,000 respectively from the settlement. He said the county plans to use the settlement funds to expand already existing e-cigarette prevention and mitigation programming in the county with a focus on education.

The CATCH My Breath Vaping Prevention Program, administered through the nonprofit Sullivan 180, is one training Liddle said the county wants to expand with the funds. 

According to its website, the peer-led teaching program gives students the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions about e-cigarettes and resist social pressures to vape. The program claims to be the only school-based vaping prevention program proven to reduce the likelihood of vaping among youth.

To date, according to Sullivan 180, 150 people have been trained as facilitators through the program in both schools and community spaces. Since the beginning of the school year, two trainings have been held for the Eldred Central School District, with another session offered on November 1 for community groups, public health professionals, and social workers.

In addition to expanding CATCH My Breath programming, Liddle says the county plans to expand compassionate compliance checks, which check in with community business owners to prevent the sale of e-cigarettes to underage Sullivan residents. The county would also allocate funding to the sheriff’s office to carry out vape-related law enforcement. The county plans as well to use funding for awareness campaigns with local media partners. 

The settlement funds are required to be used for evidence-based measures to combat underage vaping and e-cigarette addiction. Funds from the settlement have not yet been appropriated to the county. 

Sullivan 180 will be hosting two more CATCH My Breath facilitator trainings on February 14, 2025, and March 14, 2025, from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the CVI Building in Liberty. These training courses are open to anyone wanting to learn more about youth vaping trends, and those who complete the training will receive free access to the CATCH My Breath curriculum to guide students through the program. To register for this training or to learn more, email Trainings@sullivan180.org.