All people in North Carolina live in communities that support tobacco-free/e-cigarette-free lifestyles.
Far too many of the most vulnerable North Carolinians have suffered for too long from products that have been protected from regulation, yet are designed to addict, are promoted to young people, and are deadly. Until everyone is protected from addiction and exposure, we must keep working toward fairness and value-based services.
As of 2019, 27.3% of high school students in North Carolina report tobacco use, and 22.9% of adults report tobacco use. One of every five deaths in North Carolina is associated with cigarette smoking and for each death, 30 more people are sick or live with a disability. Cigarette smoking has declined for both youth and adults while electronic cigarette smoking and use of other tobacco products are increasing. Low income, low educational attainment, mental illness, and unemployment increase likelihood of tobacco use. LGBTQ individuals and people in rural communities are also more likely to smoke. American Indians have a higher prevalence of smoking, while African American tobacco users die from tobacco-related causes at higher rates. Goals for 2030 are to reduce youth tobacco use to 9.0% and adult use to 15.0%. HNC 2030 pp. 68-69
- Fund comprehensive state tobacco control programs to levels recommended by the CDC
- Implement high-impact media campaigns that warn about the dangers of tobacco use
- Implement state and local tobacco-free and smoke-free air policies that include e-cigarettes
- Implement strategies to curb tobacco product advertising and marketing that are appealing to young people
- Increase access to standard-of-care tobacco use treatment
- License tobacco retailers to enforce youth access to tobacco laws
- Raise the age of tobacco product sales to 21 to comply with federal law
- Raise the price of tobacco products through a tobacco tax
- Remove state preemption of local government regulations on the sale, promotion, distribution, and display of tobacco products
- Restrict the sales of flavored tobacco products
NC State Center for Health Statistics, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) NC Youth Tobacco Survey, Smoke-free/Tobacco free local regulations maps
- Data regarding sale and consumption of new and emerging tobacco products
- Data to understand health disparities regarding tobacco use and exposure to hazardous secondhand smoke and e-cigarette emissions.
- Data on the effectiveness of price policies to prevent initiation of e-cigarette use among young people
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