E-cigarette bill advances to full Senate
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A state Senate Committee this week unanimously approved a bill intended to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors.
State Sen. Tim Solobay, D-Canonsburg, the bill’s prime sponsor, said he appreciated the support of his colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee for acting quickly to close a loophole in state law.
“I’m glad they saw the urgent need to move this bill forward,” he said. “We don’t need to answer every question about these devices. We need to make sure they don’t get into the hands of minors. This legislation would ensure that.”
Senate Bill 1055 now heads to the full Senate for approval. Solobay introduced the measure in July. Two months later the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that use of e-cigarettes among teens had doubled in 2012.
Electronic cigarettes, in the bill referred to as an alternative nicotine product, deliver a vapor containing nicotine and artificial flavors.
“The way these products are made and packaged kind of have an allure to minors,” Solobay told the committee before their vote Tuesday, noting that 28 states have already banned sales to minors.
In September, Attorneys General from 41 states, including Kathleen Kane, sent a letter to the Food and Drug Aadministration urging federal oversight of the advertisement and sale of e-cigarettes to minors.