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Public health group urges Legislature to direct JUUL settlement money to local tobacco-prevention grants
Summary
Chelsea Ridge of the North Dakota Public Health Association told the House Appropriations Human Service Division the state should allocate JUUL settlement funds now held in the Community Health Trust Fund to local public-health grants targeted at youth vaping prevention.
Chelsea Ridge, chairwoman of the North Dakota Public Health Association’s Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs section, urged the House Appropriations Human Service Division to direct funds from the JUUL Labs settlement to local tobacco-prevention programs.
Ridge told the committee that North Dakota was one of 34 states in the JUUL settlement and that “North Dakota will receive about $6,000,000 over the next 6 to 10 years.” She said JUUL Labs was found to have used “deceptive marketing practices of addictive nicotine products that appeal to youth,” and warned committee members that, in North Dakota, 18% of youth reported using electronic nicotine delivery products in the previous 30 days.
Ridge urged transparency and accountability in how the settlement funds are used. She noted that during the previous legislative session House Bill 1004 transferred about 80% of the settlement funds from the attorney general’s budget into the Community Health Trust Fund. Ridge asked that the money be awarded as grants to local public health units so they can carry out youth tobacco-prevention and vaping-cessation work “on the ground” in local communities.
Committee members acknowledged the testimony and said they watch the Community Health Trust Fund closely. Chairman Nelson said the trust fund has traditionally been “hands off” for tobacco-cessation funding because that was the funding’s intended purpose, and he told Ridge the topic would receive priority consideration.
The testimony was delivered during the committee’s appropriation hearing for the Department of Health and Human Services. Ridge framed her request as neutral policy testimony asking legislators to ensure the JUUL settlement money achieves measurable outcomes in reducing youth tobacco and vaping use.
Ridge’s appearance followed an agenda item on the department’s salary and FTE block grant; the committee did not take formal action on the JUUL funds during the hearing.
