Senate passes bills to regulate e-cigarettes, raise smoking age Two bills aimed at making it harder for California’s youth to use tobacco products passed in the state Senate on Tuesday. Senate Bill 151 (Hernandez) would raise the minimum age for buying cigarettes from 18 to 21. SB 140 (Leno) would regulate e-cigarettes similar to combustible cigarettes, including banning their use in the usual “smoke-free” locations, such as schools, restaurants and hospitals. SB 151 was the first of the two bills heard on the Senate floor. It passed on a 26-8 vote. “We will not sit on the sidelines while big tobacco ... June 5, 2015 General Smoking, Smoking Age, State Legislation, Tobacco, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Raising the smoking age to 21 could reduce tobacco use among next generation A report released today by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) said that raising the smoking age to 21 could reduce smoking by as much as 12 percent in the next generation. In addition, smoking-related deaths could be cut by nearly 10 percent. Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in this country. The U.S. Surgeon General estimates that 5.6 million youth alive today will lose their lives prematurely if we don’t do more to reduce current smoking rates. Roughly 90 percent of daily smokers first tried a cigarette before ... March 17, 2015 General Smoking Age, Tobacco, Institute of Medicine, Smoking 0 0 Comment Read More »
