Western New York will receive more than $8.8 million in funding to help combat youth vaping, New York state Attorney General Letitia James announced Friday.

The funds, obtained from the $462 million multistate settlement from JUUL Labs Inc. (JUUL), will be split between the Buffalo City School District, and counties and BOCES in Western New York.

The settlement funds will be used for evidence-based measures to combat underage vaping and e-cigarette addiction.

“JUUL knowingly ignited a nationwide public health crisis, luring young people in with flashy colors and flavors,” James said in a statement. “E-cigarettes are deeply addictive and have severe health impacts on our youth. My office’s historic settlement holds JUUL accountable for the harm they’ve caused our kids and the $8.8 million that Western New York leaders will receive will help fight the youth vaping epidemic. I thank the local leaders who will use these funds for education, prevention, enforcement, and research to ensure our kids are safe and healthy.”

Allegany County will receive $322,931.56, Cattaraugus County will receive $467,578.61, Chautauqua County will receive $804,688.01, Erie County will receive $3,311,394.60 and Niagara County will receive $1,062,901.15, while the Buffalo City School District will receive $504,879.27, Cattaraugus-Allegany-Erie-Wyoming BOCES will receive $269,781.45, Erie 1 BOCES will receive $1,068,780.83, Erie 2-Cattaraugus-Chautauqua BOCES will receive $563,121.77 and Orleans-Niagara BOCES will receive $507,353.46.

“The dramatic increased use of e-cigarettes amongst teenagers is alarming because it has been well-documented how addictive they are, especially when used by children,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said in a statement. “This funding will help support education efforts on the dangers of these addictive products. Make no mistake about it, they are a threat to public health. Youth vaping is an epidemic and a growing concern throughout our state, including here in Erie County. I thank Attorney General James for her work in securing this funding, which will be used locally to further protect our youth from these health-harming products.”