Wake County School District Reaches Settlement of $8 million with Altria

According to Yahoo News, Wake County School District in North Carolina is set to receive over 8 million dollars in lawsuit compensation. The district has announced it has reached a settlement of 1.87 million dollars with the Altria Group and its affiliated companies.

Earlier in April, Wake County announced a $6.2 million settlement with e-cigarette giant Juul Labs. It is worth mentioning that Altria is also a shareholder of Juul. These settlements are part of federal district court lawsuits filed by school districts, cities, and towns across the country specifically targeting companies involved in the production, distribution, and marketing of e-cigarettes.

Chris Heagarty, Chairman of the Wake County School Board, stated at a press conference, "This settlement is an important first step. It is a victory for the well-being of our students, and these funds will be used for educating and safeguarding our youth against the risks of e-cigarettes, ensuring a healthy future for our community. However, there is still much work to be done, particularly in regards to these companies altering their products to circumvent measures designed to protect our children."

North Carolina has previously secured a settlement of $40 million from Juul, with Wake County being the first school district in the state to take legal action against the e-cigarette manufacturer.

The County Commission of Wake County has recently mandated that new tobacco and marijuana retailers must be at least 1,000 feet away from schools, parks, greenways, residential areas, and other tobacco and marijuana retailers. However, this regulation only applies to unincorporated areas of the county and towns that have adopted this rule.