By ADAM BEAM | Related Press
SACRAMENTO — Some California lawmakers wish to ultimately ban all tobacco gross sales within the nation’s most populous state, submitting laws to make it unlawful to promote cigarettes and different merchandise to anybody born after Jan. 1, 2007.
If signed into legislation, it will imply by 2073 folks wanting to purchase cigarettes must present ID to show they’re at the very least 67 years previous.
“We are able to make sure that the subsequent era of youngsters in California don’t develop into hooked on smoking,” mentioned Assemblymember Damon Connolly, a Democrat from San Rafael and the creator of the invoice.
The proposal is more likely to face sturdy opposition from the tobacco trade, which might battle to take care of entry to its largest U.S. market. If the ban have been to develop into legislation, the trade might sue to dam it. It might additionally problem the ban on the poll field, asking voters to cease it from taking impact.
“(The ban) will impression quite a lot of jobs and it’ll have a repercussion all through the financial system of California,” mentioned Charles Janigian, president of the California Affiliation of Retail Tobacconists.
Connolly and others are assured the ban would survive if they will get it handed the Legislature. It’s modeled after the same legislation New Zealand enacted final 12 months that bans the sale of tobacco merchandise to anybody born after Jan. 1, 2009. Within the U.S., town of Brookline, Massachusetts, handed an area legislation banning the sale of tobacco merchandise inside its borders to anybody born after Jan. 1, 2000 — a legislation that thus far the courts have allowed to stay in impact.
In 2020, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a legislation banning the sale of most flavored tobacco merchandise within the state. The tobacco trade requested voters to dam the legislation, however in November voters allowed it to take impact.
“It is a logical subsequent step of that,” Connolly mentioned. “The objective right here is to steer, to really change the dialog past our state’s borders and actually attempt to transfer the needle ahead within the route that favors public well being.”
The invoice wouldn’t penalize folks for utilizing or possessing tobacco merchandise. As a substitute, it will high quality retailers for promoting to them. Connolly mentioned he’s open to amendments that may create an exemption for non secular and cultural makes use of. However he mentioned the ban wouldn’t impression marijuana, which is authorized to smoke recreationally in California.
“Tobacco merchandise and marijuana usually are not an apples to apples comparability,” he mentioned.
The U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention says smoking marijuana contains most of the similar toxins and cancer-causing chemical substances present in tobacco smoke. The company says extra analysis is required, however mentioned restricted proof has proven a connection between continual marijuana smoking and testicular most cancers.
The ban might additionally get rid of revenue for the state, as California collected greater than $1.5 billion in tobacco taxes in 2021, in line with the California Division of Tax and Price Regulation.
“On the finish of the day, the state is the web loser,” Janigian mentioned.
Connolly mentioned the ban would save taxpayers cash, citing the “great impacts of nicotine and tobacco on our public well being system.”
“Stopping the subsequent era of Californians from turning into hooked on smoking must be a precedence for anybody who cares in regards to the public well being of our state and the nicely being of our youngsters,” Connolly mentioned.
Information Abstract:
- Bay Space Assemblymember’s invoice would ultimately ban all tobacco gross sales in California
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