Requires school districts to provide instruction on dangers of electronic cigarette usage as part of New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.

A1748

ASSEMBLY, No. 1748

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman ANTHONY S. VERRELLI

District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman DePhillips and Assemblywoman Murphy

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires school districts to provide instruction on
dangers of electronic cigarette usage as part of New Jersey Student Learning
Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical Education.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
concerning the public school curriculum and
supplementing chapter 35 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.�

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� Beginning with the
2020-2021 school year, each school district shall incorporate instruction on
the dangers of electronic cigarette usage into the health education curriculum
for students in grades six through 12 as part of the district�s implementation
of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and
Physical Education.�

���� b.��� The instruction shall
provide students with, at a minimum:

���� (1)�� statistics on the amount
of nicotine in electronic cigarettes manufactured by different companies;�

���� (2)�� information on how the
use of electronic cigarettes in middle school and high school may lead to
addiction to regular cigarettes, other tobacco products, and drugs;�

���� (3)�� information on the
physical health effects of inhaling certain chemicals that can be found in
electronic cigarettes including, but not limited to, nicotine, cannabidiol, tetrahydrocannabinol,
diacetyl, and formaldehyde; and

���� (4)�� information on the
provisions of the �New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act,� P.L.2005, c.383 (C.26:3D-55
et seq.), which prohibits the use of electronic cigarettes on school grounds.

���� c.���� The Commissioner of
Education shall provide school districts with sample learning activities and
resources designed to promote awareness of the dangers of electronic cigarette
usage.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill would require each
school district to incorporate instruction on the dangers of electronic
cigarette (e-cigarette) usage into the health education curriculum for students
in grades six through 12 as part of the district�s implementation of the New
Jersey Student Learning Standards in Comprehensive Health and Physical
Education.� The instruction would provide students with information on, at a
minimum: the amount of nicotine that can be found in e-cigarettes manufactured
by different companies; how the use of e-cigarettes during adolescence can lead
to addiction; the physical health effects of inhaling certain chemicals that
can be found in e-cigarette products; and the provisions of the �New Jersey
Smoke-Free Air Act.��

���� The use of e-cigarettes among
middle school and high school students has become a major public health concern
as the use of such devices has increased greatly over recent years. �The
federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention�s Youth Tobacco Survey

indicates that, in 2011, just 1.5
percent of high school students in the United States used e-cigarettes; in
2017, that number increased to 11.7 percent.� Similarly, in 2011, just 0.6
percent of middle school students in the United States used e-cigarettes; in
2017, that number went up to 3.3 percent.�

���� While the use of e-cigarettes
has become a popular trend among young people across the country, research
indicates that using e-cigarettes during youth can have negative health
effects.� For one, most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is the addictive
drug found in regular cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products.� Reports
have shown that nicotine levels in e-cigarettes are highly variable, with some
reaching levels near regular cigarettes.� A 2016 United States Surgeon General
report asserted that using nicotine in adolescence can harm the developing
brain and may increase the risk for future addiction to regular cigarettes, other
tobacco products, and drugs.� In addition, e-cigarettes can contain several
other substances, including cannabidiol, tetrahydrocannabinol, diacetyl, and
formaldehyde, which may be harmful to young users.

���� Lastly, what many students
using e-cigarettes on school grounds might not be aware of is that, pursuant to
the �New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act,� the use of e-cigarettes on school property
is prohibited.