The Thirdhand Smoke Resource Center sent a letter to Senator Jerry Hill, 13th Senate District, in support of Senate Bill 793, which would make the sale of flavored tobacco or tobacco flavor enhancer products illegal in the State of California. The Center supports the proposed bill because it will help protect youth from the harms of firsthand tobacco use and the toxic particles that smoke leaves behind. Read the full comment here.
June 22, 2020
By: The Thirdhand Smoke Resource Center
June 15, 2020
Dear Senator Hill,
We are writing on behalf of the Thirdhand Smoke Research Center in support of SB 793, which will help protect youth from the harms of firsthand tobacco use as well as the particles that smoke leaves behind.
Flavored products lead to increased tobacco usage. More than a quarter of high school juniors in San Diego County have tried vaping, and 13 percent vape regularly. Vape products contain the addictive chemical of nicotine. Eighty-one percent of teens and young adults who have ever used tobacco started with a flavored product. Further, at least two-thirds of youth tobacco users report using tobacco products “because they come in flavors I like.” Limiting the sale of flavored tobacco products would decrease the number of people becoming addicted to tobacco products.
We support this policy because research has shown that:
·E-cigarettes produce secondhand and thirdhand smoke, spreading the harm farther than the individual who smokes. Thirdhand smoke is the toxic mix of particles and gases that can remain in the environment for months and even years after smoking stops.
·E-cigarettes normalize smoking behaviors, getting more people interested in smoking and, therefore, producing more negative effects for the individuals as well as those who encounter their second- and thirdhand smoke.
By limiting the sale of flavored tobacco products, SB 793 will also reduce toxic second and thirdhand smoke. The FDA does not go far enough in the partial ban on certain flavored e-cigarette products. California needs to stand up alongside Massachusetts against the rise in nicotine usage and related public health risks by passing SB 793 to end the sale of flavored tobacco products.
We are proud to support SB 793.Please reach out if you have any questions about our research or our position.
Sincerely,
Georg Matt, PhD, Director
Rachael Record, PhD, Associate Director
Heather Wipfli, PhD, Associate Director
Lydia Greiner, DrPH, Coordinator
Thirdhand Smoke Research Center
San Diego State University
9245 Sky Park Ct #240
San Diego, CA, 92123
