Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced on Wednesday his goal of banning the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors in Connecticut.
With the Hartford Boys and Girls Club as support, Malloy announced legislation to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and make restrictions for sellers and buyers under the age of 18, according to Ct Post. Connecticut would join 27 states with similar laws if the legislation is adopted.
"What I'm proposing is to strengthen Connecticut's tobacco laws and keep tobacco out of the hands of young people," Malloy said.
If the bill is made into law, people who sell e-cigarettes to minors could be fined up to $200 for the first offense, The Courant reported. Sellers can be fined $350 for a second offense within 18 months and $500 for a subsequent offense within 18 months. Fines would also be increased for vendors who sell cigarettes out of their original packages.
Malloy talked about the lack of regulations for electronic cigarettes in Connecticut.
"There are currently no age restrictions to sell, give or possess electronic cigarettes in Connecticut," Mallory said. "Let's pass this bill and get our children as safe as possible."
State Department of Public Health Commissioner Jewel Mullen, who has discussed the legislation with Malloy, said that young people who smoke e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke tobacco than those who do not use the device, The Courant reported.
"Nine out of 10 smokers start before they're 18," Mullen said. Mullen supported her argument with a study, which found that 5.4 million kids alive today will die of smoking-related diseases.
"That's a serious problem," Mullen said, "compounded by the very addictive product, nicotine, now available through electronic cigarettes."
Dr. Andrew Salner, director of the cancer center at Hartford Hospital, talked about the increasing amount of young people using e-cigarettes in the U.S., which has doubled over the past two years, Ct Post reported.
"There has been dramatic growth in the market and sales of e-cigarettes and in the claims being made by manufacturers, as well as the proliferation of the types sold," Salner said. "Very little is known about their actual health risks, or their impact on youth tobacco use, and whether they are effective in helping smokers quit. More research is needed. There simply is not enough high quality evidence yet to know whether e-cigs are safe."
