NASHVILLE – A group of public health organizations joined together on Tuesday to oppose state legislation they say would strip local governments’ ability to regulate vaping.
E-cigarettes are the new frontier in the public policy battle over tobacco use. The legislation in question is sponsored by Sen. Steve Southerland, R-Morristown, and Rep. Lowell Russell, R-Vonore.
In a joint statement, groups led by the American Cancer Society outlined their opposition to the bills. The coalition includes the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids, Tobacco-free Tennessee, Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights and NashvilleHealth, the collaborative group founded by former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist.
The anti-smoking groups said the legislation seems promising at first glance, since it seeks to add e-cigarettes to the state’s existing Non-Smokers Protection Act.
But the coalition opposes the bill because it precludes passing any state laws related to e-cigarettes after June 2021 and bars local governments from imposing their own regulations or increasing taxes on e-cigarettes.