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Health groups push Senate to restore tobacco‑prevention funding, reinstate vape retailer registry and consider cigarette tax increase
Summary
Public health groups and local health officials asked the Senate to restore the Tobacco Use Prevention Fund to higher amounts, reinsert a vapor‑retailer registry, and consider a cigarette tax increase that advocates say would reduce youth smoking and raise revenue.
Representatives from the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the American Lung Association and local public‑health educators urged the Senate to restore tobacco‑prevention funding and a vapor‑retailer licensing program in House Bill 96.
Leah Baylor, a health educator from Clark County, recounted school confiscations of vaping products and supported restoring funding for the Tobacco Use Prevention Fund and a retail licensing program. Baylor described approximately 30 pounds of confiscated vaping devices from one school over six to eight months and reported an initial retailer compliance failure rate of 35% that fell to 8% after a retailer licensing/fine program.
Dustin Hoelfinger of the American Heart Association asked senators to restore an earlier vapor registry program (amendment SC0310) and to consider the governor’s proposed $10,000,000 per year for the Tobacco Use Prevention Fund (the House had reduced that fund). He also supported expanding Produce Perks and CPR training funding.
Kezia Ofasu of the American Lung Association urged a $1.50 per pack cigarette tax increase and taxing other tobacco/vapor products at 42% of wholesale, saying the measures would prevent youth initiation, help adults quit and generate significant state revenue. ACS CAN also urged restoring the governor’s cigarette‑tax increase and continued funding for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Project.
Why it matters: Witnesses linked prevention funding and retailer enforcement to reduced youth access and long‑term health‑care savings; they asked the Senate to restore funding and regulatory tools that advocates say support compliance and prevention.
No committee votes were recorded during the hearing.
