Bill > H561

Introduced Session

AN ACT ENACTING THE "YOUTH END NICOTINE DEPENDENCE ACT" TO ESTABLISH A TOBACCO USE PREVENTION FUND WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SUPPORTED BY ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE TOBACCO MASTER SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT. Whereas, in North Carolina, the use of electronic cigarettes among high school students rose one thousand one hundred twenty-nine percent (1,129%) between 2011 and 2019; and Whereas, in North Carolina, twenty-seven and three-tenths percent (27.3%) of youth in high school and ten and four-tenths percent (10.4%) of youth in middle school used tobacco products in 2019; and Whereas, electronic cigarettes are tobacco products under North Carolina law; and Whereas, youth are becoming addicted to electronic cigarettes at an alarming rate and are finding it difficult to quit; and Whereas, the United States Surgeon General has reported that use of products containing nicotine in any form among young people is unsafe, secondhand electronic cigarette aerosol that is exhaled into the air by users is not harmless, and states must take action to prevent harm rather than waiting for harm to occur; and Whereas, evidence shows that funding to create state and community interventions that encourage individuals to avoid tobacco use and help perpetuate social norms that discourage tobacco use are some of the most effective ways to prevent tobacco use and tobacco-related chronic disease and death among youth; and Whereas, North Carolina receives approximately one hundred forty million dollars ($140,000,000) every year from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, which was intended to be used for tobacco use prevention programs; and Whereas, by spending a fraction of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement funds on prevention, North Carolina can save on future medical costs caused by tobacco-related illnesses and prevent thousands of youth from becoming daily tobacco users; and Whereas, the General Assembly finds that an investment of seventeen million dollars ($17,000,000) per year in tobacco use prevention programs is required to prevent youth electronic cigarette nicotine dependence in North Carolina; Now, therefore,

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Maria Cervania (D)*,  Donny Lambeth (R)*,  Donna White (R)*,  Jay Adams (R),  Cynthia Ball (D),  Gloristine Brown (D),  Kanika Brown (D),  Allen Buansi (D),  Deb Butler (D),  Becky Carney (D),  Brian Echevarria (R),  Julia Greenfield (D),  Pricey Harrison (D),  Zack Hawkins (D),  Tim Longest (D),  Rodney Pierce (D),  Larry Potts (R),  Renée Price (D),  Amos Quick (D),  Phil Rubin (D),  Julie Von Haefen (D),  Shelly Willingham (D), 

Ref to the Com on Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House (on 03/31/2025)

Official Document