Austrilia: New Law to Tighten Rules around E-Cigarettes

Source from:  Austrian Tribune 02/09/2015

Lawmakers are aiming to bring in a new legislation to tighten rules around on e-cigarettes and other vapor inhalation products.

The new rules will give more powers to the state relating to legal smoking age, labeling and advertising requirements and retailer licensing. House Bill 1645 is the first comprehensive e-cigarettes bill in the United States, according to sponsor Representative Gerry Pollet, D-Seattle.

Pollet, a clinical instructor at the University of Washington School of Public Health said, "We are facing a burgeoning public health crisis with e-cigarettes and we need to approach it as a public health issue and provide people with an understanding of safety risks. We also need to take very quick action to prevent our children from becoming addicted to this new product."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had found in a study conducted in 2013 that more than a quarter-million youth, who had never smoked earlier, used an e-cigarette.

Backers of the electronic cigarettes have said that they are useful in helping people quit the nasty habit. However, health officials say there is no concrete evidence to prove that and warned that such devices also known as vape pens and e-hookahs may lead people into the habit of smoking. Enditem