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
NC State Center for Health Statistics, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) NC Youth Tobacco Survey, Smoke-free/Tobacco free local regulations maps