CONSUMER ADVOCATES APPLAUD UTAH HOUSE COMMITTEE DECISION
HB 170 failed to pass. Opponents said its passage would have been devastating for Utah's former smokers who have switched to smoke-free alternatives.
Salt Lake City, Utah -- The Utah House Business and Labor Committee on Friday voted 10-4 against a bill (HB 170) to ban the sales of most flavored smoke-free tobacco products, which included smokeless tobacco and electronic cigarettes. The bill also required that e-cigarette sales be made face-to-face.
Opponents of the bill said its passage would have been devastating for Utah's former smokers who have switched to smoke-free alternatives, since these consumers depend on the Internet for access to a variety of products, including flavors that often make the products more appealing than traditional cigarettes.
Among the staunchest opponents of the bill was the Consumer Advocates for Smokefree Alternatives Association (CASAA), a national volunteer organization that represents former smokers who now use e-cigarettes or smokeless tobacco as a replacement for smoking. The group believes the public has a right to accurate information about--and ready access for smokers to--products that are up to 99% safer than smoking. CASAA declared the bill's defeat a major win for public health.
"It's imperative that the fight to reduce smoking-related illnesses and deaths does not lose its focus," said Ron Ward, a CASAA Director. "Smoking quit rates have stalled. Health-conscious smokers who cannot or will not quit smoking need to know that there are low-risk, satisfying alternatives to smoking, such as smokeless tobacco and electronic cigarettes. There's been a lot of misinformation about both, leading some people to believe that all tobacco products are equally dangerous. That's simply not true."
The CASAA Board of Directors contacted members of the Utah committee this week and issued a Call to Action on its website, CASAA.org, urging its members make their voices heard. Aaron Frazier, of Salt Lake City, answered the call and along with Ward, urged legislators to consider the consequences of the ban, the most critical being that former smokers who have switched to safer products might go back to smoking.
Jacinda Ross, another CASAA member from Salt Lake City, provided testimony at the hearing. Ms. Ross, a former smoker who has switched to an e-cigarette, sympathizes with concerns some lawmakers expressed about flavors attracting children, but said that the non-tobacco flavors available for e-cigarettes are largely what make them appealing to her.
"I have two teenage sons myself," she said, "and the only interest they have in my e-cigarette is making sure that I keep using it, so they don't have to deal with having smoke around them."
"The fact of the matter is that these are not candy anymore than other flavored nicotine products are candy. Of course adult products should be kept out of the reach of children," stated Ward. "CASAA strongly supports strict enforcement to ensure that no one under the legal age for smoking is able to purchase smokeless nicotine products, but we have to draw the line at removing those choices for adults." Fortunately, he said, the majority of the committee listened, understood and agreed.
"I spoke with many of the committee members before the hearing," Ward said, "and I found that most, like Reps. Todd Kiser and Gage Froerer, expressed a sincere desire to do the right thing by their constituents. We're all grateful they listened. They likely saved some lives today."
Media Contact:
Elaine Keller
703-244-8692
http://casaa.org
182 St Francis Street Suite 300
Mobile, AL 36602
Press Release Courtesy of Online PR Media: http://bit.ly/dWukul
Salt Lake City, Utah -- The Utah House Business and Labor Committee on Friday voted 10-4 against a bill (HB 170) to ban the sales of most flavored smoke-free tobacco products, which included smokeless tobacco and electronic cigarettes. The bill also required that e-cigarette sales be made face-to-face.
Opponents of the bill said its passage would have been devastating for Utah's former smokers who have switched to smoke-free alternatives, since these consumers depend on the Internet for access to a variety of products, including flavors that often make the products more appealing than traditional cigarettes.
Among the staunchest opponents of the bill was the Consumer Advocates for Smokefree Alternatives Association (CASAA), a national volunteer organization that represents former smokers who now use e-cigarettes or smokeless tobacco as a replacement for smoking. The group believes the public has a right to accurate information about--and ready access for smokers to--products that are up to 99% safer than smoking. CASAA declared the bill's defeat a major win for public health.
"It's imperative that the fight to reduce smoking-related illnesses and deaths does not lose its focus," said Ron Ward, a CASAA Director. "Smoking quit rates have stalled. Health-conscious smokers who cannot or will not quit smoking need to know that there are low-risk, satisfying alternatives to smoking, such as smokeless tobacco and electronic cigarettes. There's been a lot of misinformation about both, leading some people to believe that all tobacco products are equally dangerous. That's simply not true."
The CASAA Board of Directors contacted members of the Utah committee this week and issued a Call to Action on its website, CASAA.org, urging its members make their voices heard. Aaron Frazier, of Salt Lake City, answered the call and along with Ward, urged legislators to consider the consequences of the ban, the most critical being that former smokers who have switched to safer products might go back to smoking.
Jacinda Ross, another CASAA member from Salt Lake City, provided testimony at the hearing. Ms. Ross, a former smoker who has switched to an e-cigarette, sympathizes with concerns some lawmakers expressed about flavors attracting children, but said that the non-tobacco flavors available for e-cigarettes are largely what make them appealing to her.
"I have two teenage sons myself," she said, "and the only interest they have in my e-cigarette is making sure that I keep using it, so they don't have to deal with having smoke around them."
"The fact of the matter is that these are not candy anymore than other flavored nicotine products are candy. Of course adult products should be kept out of the reach of children," stated Ward. "CASAA strongly supports strict enforcement to ensure that no one under the legal age for smoking is able to purchase smokeless nicotine products, but we have to draw the line at removing those choices for adults." Fortunately, he said, the majority of the committee listened, understood and agreed.
"I spoke with many of the committee members before the hearing," Ward said, "and I found that most, like Reps. Todd Kiser and Gage Froerer, expressed a sincere desire to do the right thing by their constituents. We're all grateful they listened. They likely saved some lives today."
Media Contact:
Elaine Keller
703-244-8692
http://casaa.org
182 St Francis Street Suite 300
Mobile, AL 36602
Press Release Courtesy of Online PR Media: http://bit.ly/dWukul
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