The California State Assembly on Thursday took historic action to curb smoking in the Golden State. Senate Bill 5 would ban vaping in bars, restaurants, workplaces and schools. Another bill, SB 7, would raise the smoking age from 18 to 21, except for active-duty military personnel. Managing editor Tami Roleff has reaction about the bills…
Public health advocates are celebrating the passage of the anti-smoking bills. Beverly May of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said high schoolers would have a much harder time getting cigarettes from older friends.
“You’re able to intervene from the 15- or 16-year-old being able to get that cigarette from the 19-year-old. It just takes them away further, and what we want to do is delay that onset of youth picking up that first cigarette.”
Another bill was passed to allow California counties to establish their own tobacco taxes. Laphonza Butler, part of the “Save Lives California Coalition,” said she’s optimistic that Governor Jerry Brown will sign the bills.
“This is a governor that chose to expand Medicaid to millions of Californians and has proven to really care about the health of this state,” she said, “and we hope that that continues.”
The Save Lives Coalition is sponsoring a ballot measure this November to go even further and raise the state tobacco tax by $2 a pack.
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE VOTES TO RAISE SMOKING AGE, RESTRICT E-CIGARETTES
