There have long been arguments about truth in advertising regarding the way tobacco — or vaping — companies target their audience.

There’s a fine line when it comes to peddling something harmful to consenting adults — in other words, what can be done when people who are of age make bad decisions, regardless of how dishonest marketing for dangerous products may be?

Marketing those same products to youths, on the other hand, is another matter. It isn’t acceptable.

The Butler Area School District is correct in joining a lawsuit initiated by San Diego’s Frantz Law Group against JUUL Labs Inc. and Altria, a conglomerate that owns tobacco companies Philip Morris USA and Nu Mark LLC. The lawsuit alleges these companies target children with marketing campaigns for their products.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 2.4 million middle and high school students were found during a 2014 study to use electronic cigarettes. In the six years since, e-cigarette use has become even more popular.

In 2016, an estimated 20.5 million middle and high school students — an estimated four out of five students — were exposed to e-cigarette advertisements. Nearly seven in 10 were exposed to advertising in retail stores, while two out of five were exposed on the internet or TV. An additional 25 percent were exposed to advertising in newspapers or magazines.

Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is addictive and can harm brain development. The CDC has found that e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among youths.

At some point, most youths are exposed to temptations — whether it’s alcohol, drugs or tobacco products. It’s difficult for parents to prevent such instances from happening. However, parents can emphasize to their children that such products are dangerous and bad for one’s health. It doesn’t help their cause when companies selling these products target children, which is unconscionable.

Whether it will be found the companies named in the lawsuit market their products to young people has yet to be determined. But we commend Butler Area for signing on. District solicitor Tom King said 50 percent of Butler Area students have vaped by the time they reach 12th grade, and some elementary students use the products.

“Vaping is as much or more of a health risk as cigarettes,” Butler Area School Board president Al Vavro said. “We’re trying to do what’s right for kids. That’s our responsibility.”

We agree. The school district has done the right thing.

— NCD