Last week, AMPLIFY! Project Director Carol McGruder and Board Member Valerie Yerger attended a congressional meeting in Washington, DC that centered around Juul’s pernicious marketing towards teenagers. The San Francisco based e-cigarette company is under investigation for using Stanford University’s teen anti-smoking curriculum. They paid a Baltimore organization in excess of $100,000 to organize a summer camp for your teens to learn about health from their curriculum. This effort raised concerns amongst parents and local officials.
However, last summer’s event wasn’t the first time that Juul targeted youth groups. They have given undisclosed grants to youth groups that focus on health and vaping prevention activities. In 2017, they met with students at schools across the country to discuss the safety of their vaping devices. It’s been noted that they paid schools upwards of $10,000 to speak with students.