Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto filed a bill today that will prohibit sales of popular electronic cigarettes to minors.
The proposal by the Ft. Meyers Republican will add e-cigarettes, also known as personal vaporizers or electronic nicotine delivery systems, to the current prohibitions on purchases of cigarettes and tobacco products by minors.
Recent studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found e-cigarette use among children from grades six to twelve has doubled since 2011.
“This bill is necessary to ensure that we are proactive in regards to protecting the health of children in our state,” Benacquisto said in a statement. “These products are capable of delivering a strong dose of nicotine with the potential to create long-term nicotine users.”
“It is troubling to me that we are seeing such a significant increase in the use of these products among young people. We need to work now to keep e-cigarettes out of the hands of minors,” she added.
There currently no state or federal age restrictions on e-cigarettes, unlike those on cigarettes and other tobacco products.
