John Willoughby: Greene Publishing, Inc.
This is part of a continuing series of articles appearing in the Madison Enterprise-Recorder on various bills being considered by the Florida Legislature during this year's state congressional session. It is published to inform you of issues that could have an impact on your life.
Could electronic cigarettes and liquid nicotine soon be officially categorized as Tobacco Products in Florida Statute? One Florida Senator is pushing for a reclassification following the filing of SB 1046 on Thursday, Feb. 14.
According to an announcement, released by District 17 Senator Debbie Mayfield (Melbourne-R) on Monday, Feb. 18, retailers that sell electronic cigarettes and liquid nicotine, known otherwise as recreational nicotine products, do not have to comply with the same restrictions and requirements that tobacco retailers do. The bill, SB 1046, would prohibit retail tobacco product dealers from dealing in flavored tobacco products unless they prohibit persons under a specified age on the premises, not allowing anyone under the legal smoking age to be in a vape shop.
The press release continues to state that the passing of SB 1046 would allow Tobacco Free Florida Campaign to raise awareness about the health effects of an increasingly popular nicotine and electronic nicotine devices, who are otherwise unable to spend any funding to campaign against the use of such products or their components due to their classification as a recreational nicotine product instead of "tobacco."
The proposed bill text states the additions, beginning in line 32: "'Tobacco products' means all recreational nicotine products, including, but not limited to, hookah and waterpipe tobacco, electronic nicotine delivery systems and their components, e-liquid, dissolvable tobacco, nicotine gel, smokeless tobacco, cigarettes, cigars, roll-your-own tobacco."
Retailers selling electronic cigarettes and liquid nicotine product do not have to comply with the same restrictions and requirements that tobacco retailers do, according to the press release. SB 1046 will require the same accountability, allowing law enforcement to verify that the retail businesses are only selling tobacco products to customers that are of legal age, which was set from 16 years of age and older to 18 years of age and older in 1987. While the legal age of purchasing tobacco products is 18 in Florida, Alachua County set their tobacco purchase age to 21.
"Currently, retailers that sell electronic cigarettes and liquid nicotine products do not have to comply with the same restrictions and requirements that tobacco retailers do," the press release states. "This bill will require the same accountability, allowing law enforcement to verify that the retail businesses are only selling tobacco products to patrons that are 18 years of age and older."
The CDC has found in recent years that 1.5 million more youth used e-cigarettes in 2018 than in 2017. Statistics show e-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among youth, surpassing conventional cigarettes in 2014 in Florida. In 2018, it was reported that one in four youth, ages 11 to 17, tried e-cigarettes in 2018.
"Vaping and e-cigarette use among our youth has reached epidemic levels. Now is the time to take action to protect our young people from all tobacco products," said Mayfield.
According to the Florida Senate website, the bill was referred to the innovation, industry and technology; commerce and tourism; rules committee on Friday, Feb. 22. For a full briefing on the SB 1046, log onto flsenate.gov.