Nicotine: cessation.

The amendment to Section 118950 was entirely removed. This provision would have made it unlawful for persons in the business of selling or distributing smokeless tobacco, vaping products, or cigarettes to engage in nonsale distribution (free samples, coupons, gift cards) in public buildings, parks, playgrounds, sidewalks, streets, or private property open to the public. Violations carried civil penalties of $200 for a first act, $500 for a second, and $1,000 for each subsequent act.

TEROC is now required to develop and oversee a statewide community education plan to translate, disseminate, and apply research findings from the Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program related to teenage vaping and nicotine cessation. The plan must include targeted outreach to health care providers serving youth, community-based organizations (including those serving youth experiencing disproportionate tobacco-related harms), and local educational agencies.

A pilot program is required in the Counties of Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Santa Clara. The pilot must implement targeted intervention programs for youth under 21 addicted to nicotine using best available research, include culturally responsive and youth-centered program models, prioritize developmentally appropriate cessation strategies over traditional nicotine replacement therapies, and be implemented in collaboration with local health departments and community-based organizations.

The bill's overall approach shifted from a regulatory enforcement model (banning nonsale distribution with penalties) to a public health education and intervention model (statewide plan, pilot programs, and grant funding for research). The grant program provision for the Department of Public Health remains but is now one component of a broader strategy rather than the primary mechanism.

A new funding restriction prohibits activities under the TEROC plan and pilot program from being funded by revenues from Proposition 56 (California Healthcare, Research, and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016) or Proposition 99 (Tobacco Tax and Health Protection Act of 1988).