A Policy Statement of the North Carolina Council of Churches, January 1997
Summary
The Current Status
- Tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of premature death and disease- .Approximately 25,000 North Carolina teenagers start smoking each year.
- Most smokers start at the ages of 13 and 14, with 90% starting before the age of 20.
- The earlier a person starts to use tobacco, the less likely it is that he/she will succeed at later efforts to quit.
- It is already the law in North Carolina that tobacco not be sold to anyone under the age of 18.
Recommendations
- Delete the word “knowingly” from the present state law concerning the sale of cigarettes to minors, so that the law can be enforced effectively.
- Require young adults purchasing tobacco products to show proof that they are 18 or over.
- Permit cigarette vending machines only in locations to which minors are not allowed.
- Repeal the state law which prohibits local governments from implementing more stringent protection of the public health.
