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Resident urges Gaston County Schools to back state bills raising vaping purchase age to 21
Summary
At the Aug. 18 Gaston County Board of Education meeting a resident urged the board to pass a resolution supporting House Bill 430 and its Senate companion to raise the minimum purchase age for vaping and nicotine products to 21.
Suzanne McPherson, a Bessemer City resident and retired educator, asked the Gaston County Board of Education on Aug. 18 to pass a resolution supporting state legislation that would raise the minimum legal age to purchase vaping and other nicotine products to 21.
McPherson said the change is proposed in “house bill 4 30 and the companion bill 3 18 in the senate” and urged the board to send a copy of a resolution to regional legislators and the chair of the rules committee. “I ask that you pass a resolution in support of these bills and send a copy of that resolution to our regional legislators and the chair of the rules committee, which I have shared with the clerk,” McPherson said.
Why it matters: McPherson framed the appeal as a student-health issue, saying vaping poses metabolic, cognitive and emotional harms and contributes to nicotine addiction among teens. She cited data she presented, saying “Currently, 1 out of every 10 teens in North Carolina is vaping” and that “North Carolina ranks sixth in the nation for teens using ecigarettes.”
At the meeting McPherson acknowledged the bills would not eliminate vaping but said they would send “a strong message to students, parents, and those owning stores and otherwise delivering such products.” She provided the board a sample resolution and asked that it be transmitted to legislators and the rules-chair.
Discussion vs. decision: McPherson’s request was made during the public-expression portion of the agenda. There was no recorded motion or vote by the board on the request during the Aug. 18 meeting. The clerk received the sample resolution McPherson said she had provided.
Context: McPherson also said Representative Donnie Loftus is the primary sponsor of the House bill and that 29 other representatives had signed on. She alleged possible delay in the House rules committee and urged constituents to contact legislators to advance the bills.
What’s next: No board action was recorded at the meeting; the speaker asked the board to consider a formal resolution and to forward it to state legislators.
