Efforts to increase the legal buying age for tobacco products. Electronic cigarette taxes. Flavor bans. These are just a few issues on the agenda of legislators at every level across the United States.
To date, Hawaii is the only state where consumers must be 21 to purchase tobacco products. But that doesn't mean it's the only place in the nation with a legal buying age higher than the federal age, which currently stands at 18.
Speaking at the 2016 NATO Show in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Thomas Briant, executive director of the National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO), noted that 117 municipalities in Massachusetts alone have adopted the age push to 21. The New England state also leads the way in flavor bans — at 43 municipalities. It's no wonder Briant calls Massachusetts a "hotbed" when it comes to tobacco legislation.
Such measures highlight the need for NATO to sharpen its focus on legislative and regulatory issues, bringing an end to its five-year trade show. This year's event marked the last. The association plans to build upon the NATO Local Project, which was founded in 2012 and currently has a three-member staff working directly with retailers to address regulatory issues at the local level. Read More>
No comments:
Post a Comment