This morning the House Judiciary Committee took up HB2360 and through a tobacco industry supported strike and insert amendment weakened the provisions of the bill.
The bill, as amended, now only prohibits the sale of cigarettes in anything other than its original factory wrapped packaging and only in packs of no fewer than twenty.
Stricken from the legislation was all references to any other tobacco products.
While the bill still has merit by addressing the issue of single cigarette sales the exclusion of other tobacco products from coverage under this legislation is disappointing. This is particularly true as the tobacco industry works to establish new products.
The bill now goes to the full House of Delegates for approval before it moves to the Senate.
Tags: tobacco control, West Virginia Legislature, youth access
February 20th, 2009 at 8:52 am
The industry will certainly fight to keep other products that could potentially be sold “individually” out of any regulatory policy!! These products would include cigars, cigarillos, even some of the new tobacco products like strips and sticks!
Hopefully these products can still be addressed at some point!