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MINUTES <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH <br /> November 16, 2022 <br /> V. Action Items (Non Consent) <br /> A. Elections (Chair& Vice-Chair) <br /> The Board members shall elect a Chair and Vice-Chair by majority vote each year at the last <br /> meeting of the calendar year. <br /> Motion to elect Keith Bagby to Chair and Dr. Aparna Jonnal to Vice-Chair for the 2023 <br /> calendar year was made by Dr. Bruce Baldwin, seconded by Dr. Rachel Royce and <br /> carried without dissent. <br /> VI. Educational Sessions <br /> A. T21 Resolution <br /> Dr. Bruce Baldwin, Chair, introduced Sally Herndon. Ms. Herndon is the head of the Tobacco <br /> Prevention and Control Branch in the Department of Public Health (DPH) within the NC <br /> Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). She discussed the Tobacco 21 (T21) <br /> Resolution, the need to establish a retailer permitting system, and raising the minimum age to <br /> purchase tobacco from 18 to 21 in the state of North Carolina. Below are highlights. <br /> • Tobacco usage facts <br /> ➢ E-cigarette usage has increased and is the number one tobacco product used by <br /> youth. Ninety-five percent of tobacco users start before the age of 21. <br /> ➢ The most common social source of e-cigarettes among youth ages 13-17 is from <br /> a friend who is under the age of 21. <br /> • Tobacco 21 (T21) Resolution <br /> ➢ T21 suggests that NC raise its minimum age to purchase all tobacco products to <br /> 21 to match the new federal age requirement passed by Congress in 2019. NC's <br /> minimum sales age remains at 18. It is confusing to retailers and consumers to <br /> have separate ages for state and federal law. Many youth transition from <br /> experimental use to daily use between the ages of 18 to 21. <br /> ➢ The Synar Amendment is a federal law that requires states to annually inspect a <br /> random sample of tobacco retailers to determine what percentage are selling to <br /> youth under age 21. <br /> o If the percentage of underage sales goes above 20%, the state may be <br /> forced to forfeit millions of federal substance abuse prevention and <br /> treatment block grant monies that fund prevention, treatment, and <br /> recovery initiatives. <br /> • Licensing/Retailer Permitting System (LRPS) <br /> ➢ There are 40 states that require licensing/permitting of tobacco retailers as a tool <br /> to enforce their tobacco laws and as an effective means to reduce sales to youth. <br /> Ms. Herndon suggested that NC adopt this requirement as well as it is a proven <br /> evidence-based measure to reduce tobacco sales to youth. <br /> ➢ T21 Interagency Workgroup, consisting of various state agencies including <br /> DHHS, Department of Public Safety, Department of Revenue and the Alcohol <br /> Beverage Control Commission, is a legislatively appointed task force formed to <br /> provide input on this issue. <br /> ➢ LRPS is beneficial because: <br /> o Allows the state to know where tobacco products are being sold; <br /> S:\Managers Working Files\BOH\Agenda&Abstracts\2022 Agenda &Abstracts/ <br /> November Page 2 <br />