Pennsylvania schools join lawsuit against e-cigarette company JUUL

William Marshall, superintendent of Penn Cambria School District, says vaping isn't just a problem in the high school anymore — they've also seen it in the middle school.

• By Katie Knol/WPSU

More than 40 schools in Pennsylvania have filed lawsuits against e-cigarette company JUUL, saying they’ve been affected by the company’s marketing, which they claim targets young people.

Vape pens can have a sleek and modern design that makes them hard to identify. Also, companies offer different flavors, including ones that imitate fruit or candy.

William Marshall is the superintendent of Penn Cambria School District. He says vaping isn’t just a problem in the high school anymore — they’ve also seen it in the middle school.

Because of this, they’ve installed vape detectors in all the bathrooms, and they’ve attempted to educate their students on the danger of vaping.

But Marshall said there’s an “ebb and flow,” with vaping increasing whenever companies make changes that make vape pens more discrete.

“We have seen kids using vape pens in the classroom, but because they’re built a certain way, it’s hard for a teacher to identify them,” Marshall said. “There’s not necessarily the smoke that you see from the vape pen.”

The lawsuit is meant to defray school district expenses for purchases like censors and educational materials.