US: New Law Would Ban Sale Of Flavored Tobacco In California

Source from:  The Willits News 04/04/2019

Last week the Senate Health Committee approved Senate Bill 38 (SB 38) which would ban the sale of flavored tobacco in California. Senators Mike McGuire and Jerry Hill co-authored the new legislation to address the concerning rise in vaping in the United States.

“Lured by fruit, candy and other kid-friendly flavors, high school and middle school students throughout the U.S. are vaping in record numbers,” said Senator Hill. “We must stop the appalling epidemic of e-cigarette use among youth.”

SB 38 will prohibit retail stores and vending machines in California from selling flavored tobacco products and aims to help combat the alarming rise of e-cigarette use by teens and other minors as reported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A report released in November 2018 showed that more than 3.6 million middle and high school students are using e-cigarettes, which is an increase of 1.5 million since 2017 and almost 13 times higher than the number of teens and other young people using e-cigarettes in 2011. The stunning growth between 2017 and 2018 amounted to a 78 percent increase in e-cigarette use by high school students and a 48 percent increase by middle school students.

“We know that stopping young people from ever picking up a tobacco product is the most effective way to keep them from smoking or vaping later in life,” Senator McGuire said. “It’s crystal clear flavored tobacco products are marketed directly to young people and we’re proud to partner with Senator Hill to pass this critical legislation that will help keep generations of California kids healthy.”

The lure of flavored tobacco products for youth is well-documented. 80 percent of young people who have ever used tobacco started with a flavored product, according to figures compiled by the California Department of Public Health. 70 percent of youth who reported current use of a tobacco product said that they use a flavored product, according to the CDC.

In addition to Senators McGuire and Hill, principal coauthors of the bill include Senators Steve Glazer, D-Orinda and Anthony Portantino, D-Ca?ada Flintridge. Assemblymembers Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, and Jim Wood, D-Santa Rosa. The other coauthors of the bill are Senators Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, Jim Beall, D-San Jose, Connie M. Leyva, D-Chino, Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, and Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, and Assemblymembers Marc Berman, D-Palo Alto, Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica, Cristina Garcia, D-Bell Gardens, Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, Patrick O’Donnell, D-Long Beach, Mark Stone, D-Monterey Bay, and Phil Ting, D-San Francisco.  Enditem