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Statement from Alyssa Mouton, Senior Manager of Tobacco Control Advocacy, Vital Strategies on JUUL‘s $40 million settlement to the State of North Carolina:

“Vaping giant JUUL‘s $40 million settlement to the State of North Carolina is welcome, but the State’s anemic commitment to funding tobacco control potentially also played a role in the youth vaping epidemic – it ranks 44th in the nation.

The 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) provides $140 million to NC each year for tobacco cessation and prevention, but in 2020 only $2.2 million was spent on tobacco control – the rest went to the general fund. Kids are paying the price. While youth smoking rates fell the past decade, rising e-cigarette use caused an increase in use of “any tobacco products” to 27.3% in 2019. 

Across the country this story is much the same. North Carolina’s JUUL settlement is a bellwether – others are sure to follow. But holding JUUL accountable to address youth vaping is just a start. States must also be held accountable for investing settlement moneys – including MSA funds –  into evidence-based programs to prevent and reduce tobacco use.”   

Learn more about Vital Strategies’ work in tobacco control.

About Vital Strategies 

Vital Strategies is a global health organization that believes every person should be protected by a strong public health system. We work with governments and civil society in 73 countries to design and implement evidence-based strategies that tackle their most pressing public health problems. Our goal is to see governments adopt promising interventions at scale as rapidly as possible. 

To find out more, please visit vstrategystage.wpengine.com or Twitter @VitalStrat