Utah house comitee on consumers`side

The Utah House Business and Labor Committee 10-4 against a bill (HB 170) to ban the sales of most flavored smoke free products , which included smokeless tobacco and e cigarettes. The bill also required that e cigarette sales be made face-to-face.

Opponents of the bill claimed that its passage would be devastating for Utah’s former smokers who have switched to smoke free alternatives, since these consumers depend on the Internet for access to a variety of products, including flavors that often make the products more appealing than traditional cigarettes.

One of the biggest opponents of the bill was the Consumer Advocates for Smokefree Alternatives Association (CASAA), a national volunteer organization that represents former smokers who now use e cigarettes or smokeless tobacco as a replacement for smoking.

“Smoking quit rates have stalled. Health-conscious smokers who cannot or will not quit smoking need to know that there are low-risk, satisfying alternatives to smoking, such as smokeless tobacco and electronic cigarettes. There’s been a lot of misinformation about both, leading some people to believe that all tobacco products are equally dangerous. That’s simply not true.”

“It’s imperative that the fight to reduce smoking-related illnesses and deaths does not lose its focus,” said Ron Ward, a CASAA Director. “Smoking quit rates have stalled. Health-conscious smokers who cannot or will not quit smoking need to know that there are low-risk, satisfying alternatives to smoking, such as smokeless tobacco and electronic cigarettes. There’s been a lot of misinformation about both, leading some people to believe that all tobacco products are equally dangerous. That’s simply not true.”

The CASAA Board of Directors contacted members of the Utah committee this week and issued a Call to Action on its website, CASAA.org, urging its members make their voices heard.

Jacinda Ross, another CASAA member from Salt Lake City, provided testimony at the hearing.

“I spoke with many of the committee members before the hearing,” Ward said, “and I found that most, like Reps. Todd Kiser and Gage Froerer, expressed a sincere desire to do the right thing by their constituents. We’re all grateful they listened. They likely saved some lives with this decision.”

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