The Washington State Governor and legislature are seeking to protect tobacco cigarette profits under the pretense of protecting the children. A new bill, which was introduced last week in the House would enforce strict regulations on electronic cigarettes to all states in the country.
The bill is intended to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to teens, require childproof packaging of e- liquids and labeling changes. In addition, the bill is intended to ban online electronic cigarettes sales, ban flavoring-other than menthol and tobacco, require the names and addresses of all electronic cigarette buyers to be saved for at least five years and impose a 95% tax on electronic cigarettes and their related accessories.
The legislation sound too good to be true, well, it looks as if these politicians are deeply concerned about the health of children in Washington, but in reality, it shows a lack of courage to take the big tobacco cigarette industries and tackle the real problem causing the chronic disease and early death among children.
If the governor and legislatures were truly concerned about the health of children in the state, they would immediately impose a 95% tax on real tobacco cigarettes and launch a comprehensive statewide tobacco control programme accompanied by an aggressive anti-smoking media campaign. Instead, these powerful politicians are going after the vaping industry to make it appear that they really care for the health of children.
The legislation is a dream come true for tobacco cigarette companies. Actually, between tobacco cigarettes and electronic cigarettes, which one is killing people in Washington and threatening the lives and health of adolescents in Washington? Hopefully, everybody has the answer.
Although, the electronic cigarette use amongst teens is definitely a major concern, there is no evidence that is showing any significant harm. Fortunately, some measures in the proposed legislation such as childproof packaging and restrictions on the sale of electronic cigarette to the minors make sense. However, the rest of the legislation is dramatically overkill the electronic cigarette industry and promote tobacco cigarette industry in Washington. Yet again, a spin like this could ultimately hurt the public more than help: it might cause Washington's children to smoke the real thing.
