Washington State Call to action - Bill Hearing FEb. 11, 2015 @ 1:30 pm

[DrMA]

Get involved here: Washington State

HB1458 - increases age of purchase for tobacco and vaping product from 18 to 21
HB 1458 - 2015-16

Hearing FEb. 11, 2015 @ 1:30 pm


SB5124 - defines vaping as "electronic smoking devices"
Washington State Legislature

 

[DrMA]

I used this as a model for responding to the proposed age restriction bill that would increase the legal purchasing age for tobacco from 18 to 21.

Responses to Arguments against the Minimum Legal Drinking Age

Powerful argument:
«The fact is that citizens are legally adults at the age of 18. They can marry, vote, adopt children, own and drive automobiles, have abortions, enter into legally binding contracts, operate businesses, purchase or even perform in pornography, give legal consent for sexual intercourse, fly airplanes, hold public office, serve on juries that convict others of murder, hunt wildlife with deadly weapons, be imprisoned, be executed, be an employer, sue and be sued in court, and otherwise conduct themselves as the adults they are. And, of course, they can serve in the United States armed services and give their lives defending their country.»

 

[DrMA]

Got a silly reply from my State rep.

I'm sorry, but Rep. {REDACTED} is a sponsor of this bill.

Under the status quo, cigarettes are easily accessible for minors and so the legislator is trying to streamline cigarettes with alcohol (in terms of age requirement). The reason that this issue has been brought to the attention of the legislator is because smoking on high school campuses has been a serious problem for some time; not all the students smoking on campus are of age, it has been very difficult to regulate. Increasing the age requirement isn't about convincing adults to quit smoking, it's about getting cigarettes out of schools.

I'm sorry there is disagreement on this issue, but I encourage you to continue to give our office feedback throughout the rest of the legislative session.

Follow the twisted logic: arbitrary age-prohibition isn't working, therefore we must impose more arbitrary age prohibition.

 

[WhiteHighlights]

I used this as a model for responding to the proposed age restriction bill that would increase the legal purchasing age for tobacco from 18 to 21.

Responses to Arguments against the Minimum Legal Drinking Age

Powerful argument:
«The fact is that citizens are legally adults at the age of 18. They can marry, vote, adopt children, own and drive automobiles, have abortions, enter into legally binding contracts, operate businesses, purchase or even perform in pornography, give legal consent for sexual intercourse, fly airplanes, hold public office, serve on juries that convict others of murder, hunt wildlife with deadly weapons, be imprisoned, be executed, be an employer, sue and be sued in court, and otherwise conduct themselves as the adults they are. And, of course, they can serve in the United States armed services and give their lives defending their country.»

While I did not review their links to support the claims in the article, if they are true and correct, the summary is eerily familiar:

Observation

While the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism may be guilty of presenting deceptive and misleading arguments in promoting the current minimum legal drinking age, a larger question is the legitimacy of the agency to intrude itself into public and political debates. Perhaps greater congressional oversight of the agencies activities is in order.

 

[SHOCK COLLAR]

wow what a crock of sheep, so not all the students smoking on campus are of age, and they want to raise the legal age to buy because the already underage kids are what....going to just stop?
"Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you." - Pericles

 

[Endor]

wow what a crock of sheep, so not all the students smoking on campus are of age, and they want to raise the legal age to buy because the already underage kids are what....going to just stop?

Yes. Don't you know that Big Government can impose their will upon the populace with a mere swipe of the Guvnor's pen?

When I was under 18, I never bought cigarettes.... when I was under 21, I never bought alcohol. These kind of laws work. By the way, any interest in a bridge I have for sale?

 

[DrMA]

If you can't make it to the hearing, now is the time to contact members of the House Health Care & Wellness Committee and voice your opposition to HB1458 that would arbitrarily restrict the access of thousands of WA adult smokers to life-saving e-cigarettes.

Health Care & Wellness Committee Members and Staff

 

[Danrogers]

Guys it's not about what is the truth here, you live in the USA the lobby country of the world for gods sake. Some people still believe that President Obama wasn't born in the US! The average non smoker knows nothing about vaping except what he/she hears on the nightly news. American vapers need someone with deep pockets to fund a campaign to educate the non vapers about the positive aspects of vaping and that means positive stories on television and newspapers, when that happens State Legistators won't be proposing such bogus laws. However that doesn't mean you should not fight such proposed laws!

 

[four2109]

Got a silly reply from my State rep.



Follow the twisted logic: arbitrary age-prohibition isn't working, therefore we must impose more arbitrary age prohibition.

I thought most college campuses had banned smoking! I can't believe smoking is permitted by anyone on high school campuses in Washington!

 

[SHOCK COLLAR]

a gathering of smokers/students would gather at a local mart directly accross the street of my highscool every morning and those that could buy them LEGALLY would poache those that couldn't buy. Bi-product of NO-wrong do'res making MORALE choices for NON-believer's. I cant imagine how a person could live a whole life aand not break a law...we're all criminals look it up!

 

[DrMA]

The bill moved forward to be voted on by the committee in a future session on Feb 17, 18 or 20 (exact schedule TBD).

HB 1458 - 2015-16

Now is the time to voice your opposition to a bill that would deny thousands of adult WA smokers access to 6000X safer vaping.

 

[DC2]

"Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you." - Pericles

Nice quote there.

I wish I had realized all of this a long time ago.
But I was fat and happy, ignorant, and carefree not so long ago.

Well, not really fat.

 

[DC2]

Guys it's not about what is the truth here, you live in the USA the lobby country of the world for gods sake. Some people still believe that President Obama wasn't born in the US! The average non smoker knows nothing about vaping except what he/she hears on the nightly news. American vapers need someone with deep pockets to fund a campaign to educate the non vapers about the positive aspects of vaping and that means positive stories on television and newspapers, when that happens State Legistators won't be proposing such bogus laws. However that doesn't mean you should not fight such proposed laws!

I'm telling you... Leonardo DiCaprio and Katherine Heigl are our best bets.

If only Sean Penn vaped.
Or George Clooney.

Those guys are really into doing whatever.

 

[zoiDman]

Bump.

Because 18 Year Old should be Old Enough.

 

[zoiDman]

BTW - Here is the Text of WA HB-1458 2015-16

https://legiscan.com/WA/text/HB1458/id/1082597/Washington-2015-HB1458-Introduced.pdf

https://legiscan.com/WA/bill/HB1458/2015

 

[Bill Godshall]

Even the sponsors of HB 1458 publicly stated that they didn't expect to get the bill enacted this session.

But instead of opposing the entire bill, I suggest WA vapers urge legislators to amend the bill to exempt OTP and vapor products (since they are far less hazardous than cigarettes), and to reduce age 21 to 19 (which would still ban cigarette sales to 12th graders, many/most of whom are 18).

 

[four2109]

Even the sponsors of HB 1458 publicly stated that they didn't expect to get the bill enacted this session.

But instead of opposing the entire bill, I suggest WA vapers urge legislators to amend the bill to exempt OTP and vapor products (since they are far less hazardous than cigarettes), and to reduce age 21 to 19 (which would still ban cigarette sales to 12th graders, many/most of whom are 18).

I have to disagree with the 19 age limit, since there are 8 active duty military bases in Washington. If it didn't apply to vape gear, maybe, but you know that won't be the case.
Why is smoking allowed on high school grounds?

 

[four2109]

Oct 2014:
"The Federal Drug Administration is expected to dig into the matter early next year, after it receives a report from the Institute of Medicine weighing the potential benefits of increasing the age to 21 or 25. In 2009, Congress mandated the FDA explore the issue."

2009 was also the introduction of the PACT ACT which went into effect in 2010.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/more-cities-raise-tobacco-age-to-21-1414526579

 

[Bill Godshall]

four wrote:

I have to disagree with the 19 age limit, since there are 8 active duty military bases in Washington.

The key reason the bill was proposed in the first place was to ban cigarette sales to high school students.

Except that alcohol sales are banned for everyone (including people in the military) under 21.

Besides, flag waving in defense of the deadliest drug addiction affecting several hundred 18 year old enlistees in the military (which doesn't allow enlistees to smoke during training and doesn't allow smoking at many/most locations on bases) should NOT trump the public health interest of banning cigarette sales to high school students.

Regarding the FDA TPSAC's studying of age 21, please note that the FSPTCA specifically prohibits the FDA from raising the minimum age for cigarette sales above 18.

Rep. Dianna DeGette (D-CO) offered that amendment to the FSPTCA (that only requires/allows the FDA TPSAC to study the issue) after I urged her (and other members of Congress) to oppose the FSTPCA because it prohibited the FDA from banning cigarette sales to 18 year old high school students. A decade ago, I collaborated with DeGette urging Congress to support her bills to raise the legal minimum age for cigarette sales to 21.

The TPSAC will study the issue next year, and release a report (that may generate several news stories), which will be forgotten about by everyone a week later
(just as occurred with the Congressionally mandated TPSAC study on dissolvables in 2013).

 

[DrMA]

Oops wrong thread