SB 478 – Strengthen Youth Tobacco Use Prevention/Funds
Primary Sponsors: Sen. Mike Woodard (R – Caswell), Sen. Cathy Dunn (R – Montgomery)
This bill would create The Tobacco Use Prevention Fund as a restricted reserve in the NC Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health. The purpose of this fund is to prevent the use of new and emerging tobacco products among youth and people of child-bearing age.
The funding could only be used for the following purposes:
- To create regional tobacco use prevention programs covering all 100 counties;
- To provide technical assistance to these programs;
- For evidence-based education campaigns on tobacco health risks;
- For education and enforcement of tobacco policies;
- To conduct an independent, university-based evaluation of reach and effectiveness of NC’s tobacco use prevention programs.