North Carolina law leaves door open to teen tobacco use
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More than six years after the federal smoking age was raised to 21, North Carolina law still allows tobacco sales to people 18 and older.
Why it matters: The discrepancy between state and federal law has created a gray area that makes it easier for teens to access nicotine, potentially leading to lifelong addiction, public health advocates say.
What they're saying: Raising the age and creating a licensing system for retailers would streamline enforcement and go a long way toward reducing tobacco addiction, Danna Thompson, a regional policy and advocacy director for the American Lung Association, tells Axios.
- "That enforcement piece is so huge, and right now there's not funding and there's not great structure for that," Thompson says. "There's just not a lot of pressure on these retailers to make sure that they aren't selling to youth."
State of play: North Carolina — where tobacco has long been woven into the state's economy and identity — is one of eight states that hasn't increased its age to 21, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It remains 18, as it has for decades.
- The state agency in charge of enforcing tobacco laws, Alcohol Law Enforcement, does not enforce the stricter federal law, an ALE spokesperson tells Axios.
- It's not a complete free-for-all, though. The Food and Drug Administration sends in underage buyers for its own federal compliance checks, logging thousands of inspections in North Carolina since the law changed.
By the numbers: Around one in eight North Carolina high schoolers use tobacco, with e-cigs being the most popular, a state survey found in 2022.
- Research shows kids and teens prefer vaping products over cigarettes.
My thought bubble: I texted my younger brother asking how tough it was to purchase tobacco products in North Carolina before his 21st birthday, and he replied that "it was extremely easy."
Driving the news: The American Lung Association is out today with its annual State of Tobacco Control report, and North Carolina scored near the bottom across most categories.
- Annual smoking-related health care costs exceed $3.8 billion in the state, where about 14,220 deaths a year are attributed to smoking, the analysis found.
Zoom in: The association gave North Carolina failing grades in nearly all categories.
- F on taxes: North Carolina taxes $0.45 per pack of cigarettes, one of the lowest rates and well below the national average of $2.05 per pack.
- F on money spent on prevention and quitting: The state spends 4.5% of the $99.3 million recommended by the CDC.
- F on smoke-free workplace protections: Vaping isn't banned in public places, though Raleigh recently stepped up local smoking bans to include vaping, the News & Observer reported.
- D on access to services for quitting: Medications are largely covered, but counseling can be more complicated.
- F on ending the sale of flavored products: There are no statewide restrictions.
What we're watching: A bipartisan bill filed in both chambers of the General Assembly to change the age has stalled in House and Senate committees since March.