Tobacco Marketing & Product Accessibility
Won't You Be My Neighbor?
New Jersey lawmakers are following the lead of New York City and proposing to raise the legal minimum purchase age of cigarettes to 21. New Jersey, which raised its minimum age to 19 in 2006, would be the first state in the nation to enact a minimum age of 21 if the bill is passed and signed into law.
FDA & Health Community "Grappling" with Varying Levels of Risk from Different Products
As the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Tobacco Control adjusts to its recent expansion of oversight of tobacco products, Director Mitch Zeller told a gathering of the Tobacco Merchants Association that public health advocates have "no choice but to grapple with the issues and the questions of harm reduction."
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Smoke-Free Housing
After surveying tenants and finding support for reducing secondhand smoke exposure, the Rochester Housing Authority is implementing new smoke-free rules creating designated smoking areas no less than twenty-five feet from any entryways or windows.
A recent study found that hotels which still have "smoking" designated guest rooms can have nearly five times more tobacco air pollutants than in 100% non-smoking hotels.
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Outdoor Air & Secondhand Smoke
Buckle Up and No Smoking
Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Queens) has introduced a bill that would make it illegal to smoke in an automobile with a child under the age of fourteen present. At a recent news conference, Weprin noted that New York has fallen behind states that have passed similar protections for kids in their states such as Arkansas and Louisiana.
New York State Parks and Beaches Go Smoke-Free
After a public comment period, New York State moved forward making high-traffic areas of parks and beaches such as concession stands, pavilions, and bathhouses, smoke-free.
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Other Tobacco Control News
After narrowly losing a proposal to raise state taxes on cigarettes at the ballot box last year, California state lawmakers are moving forward again with a proposal that would give California, currently 33rd, the 4th highest cigarette tax in the United States.
The Smoke-Free Air Act and... Bowling?
An eyebrow-raising trend has apparently swept across New York since the passage of smoke-free workplace laws ten years ago. Bowling alleys have reported increased lawsuits from customers going outside to smoke, and then allegedly falling and injuring themselves because of wet rental shoes. Fear not, a state lawmaker has a proposal to curb this slippery situation.
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Quote of the Month
"We have a governor - you may have heard of him - Andrew Cuomo. He's got a little healthy competition with your governor, Governor Christie. So this is a challenge to see which state can be the leader, who can pass it first, and which governor could put their signature on it."
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Dan Ferris, Policy & Research Analyst: dferris@healthsolutions.org
For more on NYC Legislation & Policies related to tobacco, click here. |
