New Jersey to use cigarette tax money to curb vaping

The state of New Jersey announced this week that it will be using cigarette tax money to fund anti-vaping efforts aimed at teens.

The FDA estimates that vaping has increased 77% nationwide this year among high school students. According to NJ Spotlight, one in five New Jersey high school students used a vaping device within the past year. At the same time, New Jersey’s smoking rates are lower than the national numbers. A total of $7 million will be allocated to fund new programs and augment existing programs.

To discourage vaping among teens, the Department of Health will provide $2 million to the New Jersey Prevention Network to disseminate information about the dangers of e-cigarettes. Another $2 million will reportedly be used to establish “quit centers” where smokers can go to get help in quitting. Some money will be used to augment NJ Quitline which provides telephone counseling to smokers who want to quit. A law was passed last year that requires 1% of the revenues generated from tobacco taxes to go to cessation and prevention programs.

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