(via CASAA Twitter @CASAAMedia)
Tobacco harm reduction news for March 1, 2019. Anti-harm reduction laws in Wisconsin, Utah, Vermont, Texas, Ohio, New York and Indiana. Bill seeks to charge manufacturers of vaping products fee to fund FDA oversight.
WISCONSIN: (HEADS UP!) @GovEvers wants to tax #vaping products at 71% of the LIST price, making a $10 bottle cost over $17! This would remove a significant cost incentive for (mostly lower income) adult #smokers to switch to the MUCH SAFER alternatives.
Evers’ budget includes gas tax, minimum wage hike, automatic voter registration
IN THE NEWS: (FDA) Sen. Shaheen bill calls for FDA to collect fees from #vape manufacturers in 2020 of $150 million (2% of total aggregate manufacturer sales of #vaping products sold in the US the previous year) – likely increasing cost to consumers.
Shaheen bill would slap fees on e-cigarette makers
UTAH: (UPDATE) Bill to deny early ADULT #vapers & #smokers access to much safer alternative #vaping & #smokefree products narrowly advanced from the House committee.
A proposal to boost Utah’s legal tobacco, e-cigarette age to 21 barely makes it out of a House committee
VERMONT: (HEADS UP!) Senate bill denies early ADULT #smokers & #vapers access to the much safer #vaping & #smokefree products that could actually eliminate #smoking. If passes Senate vote Friday, it moves to House for consideration after Town Meeting Day.
KIRBY, TEXAS: (UPDATE) After second reading, city denies early ADULT #smokers & #vapers access to the much safer #vaping & #smokefree products that could actually eliminate #smoking.
Kirby City Council votes to ban sale of tobacco products to those under 21
STOW, OHIO: (UPDATE) City Council wisely voted 5-1 AGAINST denying early ADULT #vapers & #smokers access to much safer alternative #vaping & #smokefree products!
Stow City Council rejects tighter tobacco controls despite community’s support
BARABOO, WISCONSIN: (HEADS UP!) Ordinance to ban use of #vaping & #smokefree products OUTSIDE, without any evidence of risk to bystanders or necessity of intervention, has passed & will return to the council for a second reading.
Baraboo to ban tobacco in parks
PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK: (UPDATE) Council removes “possession” clause, but still plans (without any evidence of risk to bystanders or necessity of intervention) to ban use of #vaping products OUTSIDE in parks & ON SIDEWALKS. Hearing 5 PM Thursday, March 14!
INDIANA: (UPDATE) Lawmakers rejecting $2.995 #cigarette tax, while 4¢/mL tax on much safer #vaping products (ludicrously intended to reduce non-existent “youth vaping epidemic”) is still on the table after narrowly passing the House, 53-40.
Prospects for $2 per pack cigarette tax hike all but snuffed out at the Statehouse
If you’re on Facebook, please be sure to join your CASAA state group: CASAA.org – The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association
This article was originally published at CASAA
Author: KNoll-Marsh