House Bill 802 would require North Carolina public schools to adopt and enforce policies prohibiting the use of tobacco, nicotine, hemp, and vapor products on school property and at school-sponsored events. It expands the existing school tobacco policy to explicitly cover nicotine products, hemp-derived inhalables such as delta-8, delta-9, and CBD, and vapor products including e-cigarettes. The bill also directs schools to provide students with evidence-based, age-appropriate prevention and cessation materials, with Department of Health and Human Services approval of those materials.
The bill further creates a student discipline framework for possession of nicotine, hemp, or vapor products by students under age 21. On a first offense, the product must be confiscated and the student and parent must receive cessation information and either a meeting/assessment or participation in an education program. Second and subsequent offenses trigger additional disciplinary action under school conduct policies, while still requiring the educational and intervention steps. The bill also requires the State Board of Education to report discipline and medical intervention data related to these violations, and directs DHHS to publish awareness information and a list of school-use resources by September 15, 2025.
HB 802 would amend multiple provisions of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes to broaden school tobacco restrictions and add a new student possession and response policy. It would shift responsibility for implementation from local boards of education to governing bodies of public school units, require DHHS involvement in approving and supplying prevention materials, and add a new reporting obligation for the State Board of Education. The bill would affect students, parents, school administrators, counselors, nurses, and DHHS, and would take effect for the 2025-2026 school year.
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the available record. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears framed as a school health and prevention policy rather than a punitive discipline bill, emphasizing education, cessation support, and evidence-based materials alongside enforcement. The absence of recorded votes or discussion means the overall sentiment cannot be reliably measured from the provided materials.
The main potential points of contention are the bill’s broad definition of covered products and its inclusion of hemp-derived products such as delta-8, delta-9, and CBD alongside nicotine and vaping products. Another likely issue is the disciplinary treatment of students under 21 for mere possession, including confiscation, parental notification, required counseling or education, and possible additional discipline for repeat offenses. Stakeholders may also differ over whether DHHS approval of materials and the reporting requirements create useful oversight or unnecessary administrative burden for schools.