RES 693 Draft 02 2022-2024 - Laserfiche WebLink

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REVISED: 1ST DRAFT DATE: RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS. BE IT EXACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII: 1 2 SECTION 1. The legislature finds that tobacco use remains the 3 leading cause of preventable death in the United States and in 4 Hawaii. Recent years have brought a precipitous increase in 5 consumer sales of electronic smoking devices, sometimes called 6 "vapes", and one inhalation of these products can contain many 7 times more nicotine than a conventional cigarette. Electronic 8 smoking devices have played a major role in increased rates of 9 youth nicotine addiction, which had been previously on the 10 decline. 11 12 This increased youth tobacco prompted Hawaii to adopt laws to 13 increase the smoking age to 21 years old, and treat electronic 14 cigarettes in the same manner as the state treats conventional 16 cigarettes for purposes of clean indoor air laws. The state and 16 the County of Hawaii, County of Maui, and City and County of 17 Honolulu have also adopted policies to ban smoking - including 18 electronic cigarette use - at state and county beaches and 19 parks. 20 21 In 2018, in order to ensure uniform regulation's on tobacco 22 sales, the legislature passed Act 206, which, in part, declared 23 the sale of cigarettes, tobacco products, and electronic smoking 24 devices a matter of statewide concern, and nullified any 25 existing local ordinances or policies that restricted the'sale 26 of these products. However, the legislature finds that since the 27 Act's passage, youth tobacco use has continued to increase to 28 epidemic levels. According to the 2019 Hawaii Youth Risk 29 Behavior Survey, thirty-one per cent of middle school students