http://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...s-banning-cigarette-use-sale-minors/21860557/
Reading this really upsets me. And could quite possibly make me leave the state. How do you call something a cigarette when it's not a cigarette?
LANSING The last three bills left over from the lame duck session of the Legislature banning the use and sale of e-cigarettes to minors have been vetoed by Gov. Rick Snyder.
Snyder said the measures don't go far enough to regulate e-cigarettes, the increasingly popular devices that heat a nicotine solution to a vapor. The devices are used by some in bars and restaurants since the state instituted a smoking ban in restaurants and have become increasingly popular among youth, who can buy flavored solutions.
"We need to make sure that e-cigarettes and other nicotine-containing devices are regulated in the best interest of public health," Snyder said in a statement. "It's important that these devices be treated like tobacco products and help people become aware of the dangers e-cigarettes pose."
The sponsors of the bills, which also would have prohibited the e-cigarettes from being defined or regulated as a tobacco product, said the intent of the legislation is to keep the e-cigarettes out of the hands of minors, who could get hooked on the nicotine solution and then move on to more traditional tobacco products.
"I think it was a big mistake," said Sen. Rick Jones, R- Grand Ledge, one of the sponsors of the bills. "Recent studies have shown that the use of electronic cigarettes by children is way up and that needs to be controlled by state authorities."
He won't support further regulation or taxing e-cigarettes because other nicotine delivery devices, like patches and gum, aren't taxed like tobacco products.
"Many of my friends have used them to get off of cigarettes," Jones said. "I don't want to discourage people from giving up that nasty habit and moving into something safer."
Snyder noted that attorney generals in 40 states, as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and many medical professionals, have recommended that e-cigarettes be treated, and regulated, like regular cigarettes.
"The medical science is clear: E-cigarettes are dangerous and threaten the health of children," said Dr. James D. Grant, president of the Michigan State Medical Societyin a statement. "This action ensures that the state is putting the welfare of Michigan children and families first."
The three bills were the last of the 2013-14 legislative session for Snyder to consider.
Sent from my HTC One M8 Harman/Kardon edition
Reading this really upsets me. And could quite possibly make me leave the state. How do you call something a cigarette when it's not a cigarette?
LANSING The last three bills left over from the lame duck session of the Legislature banning the use and sale of e-cigarettes to minors have been vetoed by Gov. Rick Snyder.
Snyder said the measures don't go far enough to regulate e-cigarettes, the increasingly popular devices that heat a nicotine solution to a vapor. The devices are used by some in bars and restaurants since the state instituted a smoking ban in restaurants and have become increasingly popular among youth, who can buy flavored solutions.
"We need to make sure that e-cigarettes and other nicotine-containing devices are regulated in the best interest of public health," Snyder said in a statement. "It's important that these devices be treated like tobacco products and help people become aware of the dangers e-cigarettes pose."
The sponsors of the bills, which also would have prohibited the e-cigarettes from being defined or regulated as a tobacco product, said the intent of the legislation is to keep the e-cigarettes out of the hands of minors, who could get hooked on the nicotine solution and then move on to more traditional tobacco products.
"I think it was a big mistake," said Sen. Rick Jones, R- Grand Ledge, one of the sponsors of the bills. "Recent studies have shown that the use of electronic cigarettes by children is way up and that needs to be controlled by state authorities."
He won't support further regulation or taxing e-cigarettes because other nicotine delivery devices, like patches and gum, aren't taxed like tobacco products.
"Many of my friends have used them to get off of cigarettes," Jones said. "I don't want to discourage people from giving up that nasty habit and moving into something safer."
Snyder noted that attorney generals in 40 states, as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and many medical professionals, have recommended that e-cigarettes be treated, and regulated, like regular cigarettes.
"The medical science is clear: E-cigarettes are dangerous and threaten the health of children," said Dr. James D. Grant, president of the Michigan State Medical Societyin a statement. "This action ensures that the state is putting the welfare of Michigan children and families first."
The three bills were the last of the 2013-14 legislative session for Snyder to consider.
Sent from my HTC One M8 Harman/Kardon edition
