California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a bipartisan group of 22 attorneys general in urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to continue the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS). The NYTS is an annual study that tracks smoking and vaping behaviors among middle and high school students, providing key data on youth tobacco use.
Attorney General Bonta emphasized the importance of the survey, stating, “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. 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 comment letter was submitted following a CDC invitation for public input regarding whether to continue NYTS. The CDC indicated plans to revise future surveys from 2026 through 2028 but did not specify what changes might be made. The letter also raises concerns about recent decisions by federal agencies: specifically, that the CDC eliminated its Office on Smoking and Health and there were leadership changes and staff reductions at the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products.
Attorneys general have used NYTS data over two decades to guide policy addressing youth exposure to tobacco products. In 1998, attorneys general from 52 states and territories reached a settlement with four major tobacco companies in what became known as the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). This agreement sought both financial compensation for health care costs linked to smoking-related illnesses and measures aimed at reducing youth smoking rates. Under its terms, tobacco companies are barred from misleading marketing about health risks or targeting young people in advertisements. Regular meetings between attorneys general and tobacco companies—mandated by the MSA—rely heavily on NYTS data.
Since its inception, ongoing payments from tobacco companies under this settlement have totaled more than $171 billion for participating states.
Attorney General Bonta continues enforcement initiatives through California’s Tobacco Grant Program, supporting statewide compliance with flavor bans as well as local ordinances restricting flavored tobacco sales. His office has pursued legal action against companies importing illegal products into California—including manufacturers like Flum—and against businesses conducting unlawful online sales or marketing of tobacco items. In 2023, Bonta secured a $462 million multistate settlement with JUUL Labs Inc., with California receiving $175.8 million—the largest share among participating states—for research, education, and enforcement concerning e-cigarettes.
Other signatories joining Attorney General Bonta include 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 their joint letter is available online.
