Alaska Senator pushes revised youth tobacco/e-cigarette bill

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) -The Alaska Legislature is taking another swing at passing a law to address concerns over the long-term health effects related to kids smoking at an early age, specifically with electronic smoking devices.

After passing the House and Senate in 2022, Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed a bill that would raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and levy a sales tax on electronic cigarette devices.

Passing through the Senate in 2023, Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, introduced SB 89 to the House Labor and Commerce Committee on Monday.

“We have deferred this issue for too long,” Stevens told committee members on Monday. “The time is now to face this new industry, to help protect young Alaskans who are being targeted for a lifetime of addiction.”

The proposed bill would align state law with federal law by raising the minimum age from 19 to 21 to buy, sell or possess tobacco products and electronic smoking products, and put a 25% sales tax on electronic cigarette products. The vetoed bill had a significantly higher sales tax of 35%.

“There were many conversations about what an appropriate level to tax would be, but ultimately a tax increase on the people of Alaska is not something I can support,” Dunleavy said on his decision to veto the bill.

Stevens has said in his view, “taxes have been proven to reduce youth tobacco use, resulting in fewer kids becoming lifelong smokers, and thus ultimately reducing healthcare costs.”

Emily Nenon, the Alaska Government Relations Director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, agrees with the senator’s perspective.

“Those e-cigarettes are increasingly and alarmingly being picked up by youth and increasing the price is one of the best ways to keep kids from ever starting to use the products,” Nenon said.

Several citizens attended Monday’s House Labor and Commerce Committee meeting to express their support of the bill, including Dimond High School student Leena Edais.

“These products are very easily accessible,” she said. “I could go and tag somebody right now, and they could go buy a vape and I could get it by tomorrow.”

In the past, Rep. Mike Shower, R-Wasilla, has spoken in opposition to the changes.

“You’re old enough to carry a gun, you’re old enough to die for your country but you’re not old enough to drink? To smoke a cigarette if you want, to vape?” he asked in 2022.

Edais is asking lawmakers to do something because she is concerned about her classmates’ health.

“Probably the biggest one would be having a harder time breathing,” she said.

If the bill makes it out of the Labor and Commerce Committee, it would then go through the House Finance Committee.

It passed through the Senate in May 2023, 14-6.

Copyright 2024 KTUU. All rights reserved.