California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a bipartisan group of 22 attorneys general in supporting the continuation of the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS). The coalition submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), emphasizing the importance of ongoing data collection on youth tobacco use.
The NYTS is an annual survey that tracks smoking and vaping behaviors among middle and high school students. Data from this survey have been central to efforts by state attorneys general to address youth tobacco use over the past two decades, including identifying trends such as the rise in youth e-cigarette use.
“Tobacco control efforts have long been a bipartisan priority, particularly when those efforts concern our youth, and rightfully so. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration has taken several actions that threaten to undo the progress we have made, such as eliminating the Office on Smoking and Health at the CDC,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I’m proud to join a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in urging the Trump Administration to protect the National Youth Tobacco Survey. When it comes to informing our work to address youth tobacco use, this survey has been a tremendous asset to us all.”
The letter responds to a CDC request for public input on whether to continue administering NYTS from 2026-2028. The CDC plans some revisions but has not yet detailed them. Recently, changes at federal agencies include closing CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health and staff reductions at FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products.
Attorneys general nationwide have worked together since 1998 through initiatives like the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), which was established after 52 state and territorial attorneys general settled lawsuits with four major tobacco companies. The MSA restricts how tobacco companies market their products—especially toward youth—and requires regular meetings between states’ attorneys general and tobacco companies focused on reducing youth smoking rates, using NYTS data as part of their discussions.
Over $171 billion in payments from tobacco companies have resulted from this settlement so far. Attorneys general also lead other programs aimed at curbing youth access to nicotine products. In California, Bonta supports enforcement measures such as flavor bans through the Department of Justice’s Tobacco Grant Program.
Bonta has led lawsuits against illegal importers like Flum distributing unauthorized products in California, as well as online sellers violating state laws regarding tobacco sales. In 2023, Bonta helped secure a $462 million multistate settlement with JUUL Labs Inc., with California receiving $175.8 million—the largest share among participating states—to fund research, education, and enforcement related to e-cigarettes.
Attorney General Bonta signed today’s letter along with his counterparts from Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington State, West Virginia and Puerto Rico.
A copy of the letter is available here.
