TALLAHASSEE, FL – February 4, 2020 – Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Innovation, Industry and Technology passed bill SB 810 to increase the state’s age of sale for all tobacco products to align with the federal age of sale and enable enforcement. The bill will be voted on by one more committee before moving to a full Senate vote.
Below is a statement from Senior Government Relations Director, Heather Youmans, in reaction to yesterday’s vote.
“We were encouraged by yesterday’s vote by the Senate Committee on Innovation, Industry and Technology to move bill SB 810 forward during a crucial time for Florida’s youth.
Still, the work is far from done. We are greatly concerned by some lawmakers’ ambitions to place penalties on youth for purchase, use and possession. Evidence shows these penalties aren’t effective and fail to protect our children from tobacco’s harm by inappropriately shifting blame.
To truly ensure a healthy future for our kids, non-compliant retailers and repeat offenders need to be held accountable and have their tobacco retail license suspended or revoked for continuing to sell tobacco products to people under 21.
The tobacco industry and its allies intentionally target youth in hopes of addicting the next generation to their deadly products. The industry spends 8.5 times more on marketing its dangerous products than our state spends on combatting tobacco’s deadly toll through prevention and education efforts.
It’s necessary our state legislature take swift and effective action that fulfills their promise to protect youth. Alongside enacting strong retail licensing laws, state lawmakers need to require that every tobacco retailer complete at least two unannounced compliance checks per year and ensure the law is actively enforced in order to build compliance and create a safer environment for our children.
We look forward to continuing to work with Sen. Simmons and lawmakers in furthering evidence-based policies and enforcement regulations that genuinely put Florida’s kids first and reduce tobacco’s deadly toll in our state.”
The committee also passed bill SB 1394 to implement retail licensure necessary for active enforcement.
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