States Take the Lead on E-Cigarette Legislation, According to WestlawNext


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TO BUSINESS, FEATURES, RETAILING, AND TECHNOLOGY EDITORS:

States Take the Lead on E-Cigarette Legislation, According to

WestlawNext

EAGAN, Minn., April 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of the

recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed rules for

electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, 46 states already

have proposed or enacted legislation related to e-cigarettes,

according to data found on WestlawNext@, the leading online legal

research service.

Of those states, at least 20 have proposed or enacted legislation that

includes e-cigarettes in the state's existing smoking bans or

otherwise prohibits the use of e-cigarettes in public areas,

workplaces and schools, with a few exceptions in varying states.

State lawmakers also have been proactively pursuing legislation that

would limit the accessibility of e-cigarettes to minors-41 states have

proposed or enacted legislation that would prohibit sale to, or

possession of, e-cigarettes by minors.

E-cigarettes use a battery-powered device to heat liquid-which often

contains nicotine and can include flavor additives-creating a vapor

that is then inhaled. The devices have grown in popularity in recent

years as an alternative to traditional tobacco cigarettes.

Additional findings of note through WestlawNext include:

-- New Jersey has proposed legislation that would urge the federal

government to regulate e-cigarettes.

-- Illinois has proposed legislation that would enact safety standards

for packaging of e-cigarettes.

-- Wisconsin currently has an indoor smoking ban in place, but has

introduced bills-none have passed, however-that would specifically

exclude "holding, or inhaling or exhaling vapor or a vaporized

solution from, an electronic device that does not contain tobacco"

from the definition of "smoking."

-- Maine, Montana, Nevada and Texas do not have any e-cigarette

legislation enacted or proposed at this time.

While many states have been proactive in regulating e-cigarettes,

Americans are divided on whether e-cigarettes should be subject to the

same regulations as tobacco cigarettes.

According to a survey conducted by FindLaw.com, the most popular legal

information website, 43 percent of Americans say that e-cigarettes

should be subject to the same regulations as tobacco cigarettes, while

only 27 percent oppose the move. However, among people who have tried

e-cigarettes, a majority-55 percent-say that they should not be

subject to the same regulations as tobacco cigarettes.

Among the additional survey findings:

-- Only 15 percent of American adults say they have tried

e-cigarettes.

-- One-third of people between the ages of 25 and 34 have tried an

e-cigarette.

-- The majority of people who have tried e-cigarettes only did so

once. Only one out of every five people who have ever tried an

e-cigarette now use it more than once a month.

"The divide between those that believe e-cigarettes should be subject

to the same regulations as tobacco cigarettes, and those who don't see

the need for the same regulation, couldn't be any clearer," said

Stephanie Rahlfs, an attorney-editor at FindLaw.com. "E-cigarette

users commonly feel that the devices, with their absence of

second-hand smoke, are less of a nuisance, while non-users hold firm

that smoking is smoking, regardless of the way it's done. It will be

interesting to see what happens and how the public reacts to the FDA

proposals."

WestlawNext data was researched and compiled through April 23, 2014.

The FindLaw survey was conducted using a demographically balanced

survey of 1,000 American adults and has a margin of error of

plus-or-minus 3 percent.

Note to editors : Full FindLaw survey results and analysis are

available upon request.

CONTACT

Alex Cook +1.651.687.6319 alex.cook@thomsonreuters.com

SOURCE WestlawNext; FindLaw

-0- 04/25/2014

/Web Site: http://thomsonreuters.com/westlawnext

http://www.findlaw.com

CO: WestlawNext; FindLaw

ST: Minnesota

IN: ADV CPR CSE REA

SU: FEA SVY

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-- AQ12835 --

0000 04/25/2014 09:20:00 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com

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