Senator Darryl Rouson (D-St. Petersburg) and Representative Lori Berman (D-Lantana) have introduced SB 1138 and HB 1093 in order to raise Florida’s tobacco sales age from 18 to 21.
The legislation promises to curb smoking rates, protect kids from a deadly addiction, and save lives and money. At current smoking rates, 270,000 Florida kids alive today will eventually die from tobacco-related illnesses. The bills would apply not only to cigarettes but also electronic dispensing devices, also known as e-cigarettes, as well as other tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco.
Tobacco use remains Florida’s leading cause of preventable death, killing roughly 32,300 Floridians annually. Each year, roughly 7,400 Florida kids under 18 become new daily smokers.
Raising the tobacco sales age to 21 would have the biggest effect on teens aged 15-17. The National Academy of Medicine predicts that increasing the national sale age to 21 would reduce smoking rates between this age group by 25 percent.
“This initiative is about addiction prevention,” said Senator Rouson. “By raising the smoking age to 21 we can prevent not only addiction, but also the dangerous and life-threatening side effects that come along with tobacco use.”
“I am hopeful that this bill will prevent our youth from taking up the tobacco habit,” said Representative Berman. “It is an addiction that causes serious health issues and costs our state a lot of money in the long run.”
Evidence suggests the adolescent brain is more susceptible to the addictive qualities of nicotine. Research by the U.S. Surgeon General indicates youth can become dependent on nicotine very rapidly and at lower levels of consumption than adults.
The tobacco industry targets young adults ages 18 to 21 because they know it is a critical time for solidifying nicotine addiction. The 18-21 age range is when most people transition from experimental tobacco use to regular, daily use. Big Tobacco spends an estimated $563.9 million annually in Florida to market their products.
“We know that smoking causes a wide range of health issues, including cancer,” said Matt Jordan, government relations director for ACS CAN in Florida. “If we can prevent life-long nicotine addiction by limiting young people’s access to cigarettes and other tobacco products, we can make a tremendous difference in improving overall public health in our state.”
If passed during the upcoming legislative session, Florida would be the third state to raise its tobacco sales age to 21. The policy also has been passed in at least 210 cities and counties nationwide.
Rep. Lori Berman
Sen. Jeff Clemens and Rep. Lori Berman file bill to strike unconstitutional language from HB 1411
Sen. Jeff Clemens (D-Lake Worth) and Rep. Lori Berman (D-Lantana) have filed Senate Bill 1114 and House Bill 6025, striking unconstitutional language from House Bill 1411 (HB 1411), the omnibus anti-reproductive health care bill passed during the 2016 session. Last June, Planned Parenthood of South, East and North Florida and Planned Parenthood of Southwest Central Florida successfully challenged three parts of HB 1411.
“Thank goodness we have a court system that acts as a check on the Legislature,” Sen. Clemens said. “It’s unfortunate that the majority in the Legislature continues to pass unconstitutional bills.”
“I am proud to file a bill to repeal the language in HB 1411 that the Federal District Court has deemed unconstitutional,” said Rep. Berman. “It is deeply disturbing that we use valuable legislative time in such a counterproductive manner and that we as taxpayers end up footing the cost for defending these ill-conceived ideological bills.”
During the 2016 legislative session, when this bill passed, it was never heard by the Judiciary Committees in either chamber. When concerns about the constitutionally of the legislation were raised, they were dismissed by supporters of the bill. In August 2016, a Federal District Court permanently blocked the Florida law from being enacted.
“This bill would repeal unconstitutional language that attempted to defund family planning providers who provide safe and legal abortion care from offering preventive care such as birth control, cancer screenings, STI tests, and other essential health care services,” said Barbara Zdravecky, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. “It would also repeal unconstitutional language jeopardizing the privacy of women who have an abortion by requiring that at least 50 percent of those patient records be reviewed by state officials, a mandate not required in any other medical procedure.”
Defunding an essential community provider and mandating onerous inspection requirements does nothing to improve the health and safety of care. This unconstitutional law is a part of a nationwide trend to target abortion providers and restrict access to reproductive health care services. Since 2011, 334 abortion restrictions have been enacted across the county.
“This legislation continues to highlight the constant attacks targeting abortion providers and the legislature’s disregard of protecting a patient’s constitutional rights,” added Lillian Tamayo, CEO of Planned Parenthood of South, East and North Florida.
Just last week the Florida Supreme Court blocked a Florida law that would have required women to wait 24 hours before having an abortion. This is yet another example of the courts reminding lawmakers they don’t have the right to block access to safe and legal abortion. This ruling is a major victory but it appears to have fallen on deaf ears in the halls of the Capitol, as legislators continue to file bills this year that continue to attack access to abortion.
Please visit www.fappa.org for more information.
