NJ State Assembly Passes Legislation That Will Protect Youth from Deadly Addiction and Disease

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Name: Marc Kaplan

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

Cell: (518) 796-1038

Email: [email protected]

NJ State Assembly Passes Legislation That Will Protect Youth

from Deadly Addiction and Disease

ACS CAN Applauds Increase in Tobacco Sales Age from 19 to 21

TRENTON, NJ – June 22, 2017 – The New Jersey Assembly has passed a measure that would prohibit the sale of tobacco and electronic smoking devices to anyone under 21.  The current age requirement is 19. California and Hawaii already have enacted this important public health measure. The senate has already passed this measure. It now goes to Governor Christie’s desk.

Brian Shott, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) New Jersey director of government relations released the following statement.

“We express thanks to the New Jersey Assembly, Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Senator Richard Codey, and legislative leadership for passing this crucial public health measure. Raising the age for the sale of tobacco products is a no-brainer.  Research shows it can significantly reduce smoking rates.

“There are some 11,800 annual adult deaths due to smoking in New Jersey. Research shows that if a person does not begin smoking at a young age, they are much less likely to ever smoke. Tobacco continues to claim too many lives and is the leading cause of preventable death. If enacted this law will not only save lives, it will dramatically cut health care costs.

“We urge Governor Christie to also get behind this bill and take action to put New Jersey in the forefront of saving lives.”

ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.

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