Nicotine: cessation.

Assembly Member Krell's youth nicotine cessation initiative tasks the Tobacco Education and Research Oversight Committee (TEROC) with developing a statewide plan to translate and implement findings from the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, specifically focusing on teenage vaping and cessation strategies. The legislation directs TEROC to create targeted outreach programs for healthcare providers, youth-focused community organizations, and local educational agencies to disseminate evidence-based cessation approaches tailored to adolescents.

The bill establishes pilot programs in Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Santa Clara counties to implement intervention strategies for nicotine-addicted youth under age 21. These programs must incorporate culturally responsive, youth-centered models that address the behavioral, psychological, and social aspects of adolescent nicotine addiction. Local health departments and community organizations with established experience in nicotine cessation will partner in program implementation. The legislation specifies that traditional nicotine replacement therapies are not considered appropriate for youth under 21, requiring alternative cessation approaches.

Funding for these initiatives cannot draw from existing tobacco tax revenues established by either Proposition 56 (2016) or Proposition 99 (1988), requiring alternative funding sources. The bill builds upon TEROC's current advisory role to the State Department of Public Health and Department of Education regarding tobacco education programs, expanding its mandate to include youth-specific nicotine cessation strategy development and oversight.