05/14/2026
This week I met with more than two dozen constituents representing anti-to***co advocates and local public health departments from counties throughout the 1st Senate District to address a crisis among our youth – ni****ne addiction.
Several years ago I voted for the state’s ban on flavored “e-cigarettes” or vapes, which the voters upheld, and we have seen a drop in youth use since. And yet new products and stronger, more addictive formulations are still coming on the market. Since 2020, youth use of ni****ne pouches has risen by 763 percent, and the amount of ni****ne in vapes has increased by 250 percent.
And, unfortunately, use is markedly higher among youths in rural areas and our tribal communities.
There is more work to be done to protect North State youths, especially but not only in schools, and I thank these groups for their work at the local level to protect children’s health.
