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SALT LAKE CITY — The bill raising Utah's tobacco age to 21 narrowly passed through the House Business and Labor Committee with a 7-6 vote on Tuesday.
Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, said according to the Student Health and Risk Prevention (SHARP) survey, there has been an explosion of smoking and vaping among youth — a 77 percent increase in one year. He said about 1 in 3 children who begin using tobacco will die from a smoking-related illness.
“It’s the most preventable form of death,” Eliason said.
Comments on HB324 during the committee meeting were varied, with a representative from the Utah Vapors Business Association supporting the bill and a representative of 13 local health departments speaking against it.
“We cannot support the bill with its current language … which would remove the right of local health departments to make decisions regarding the health of their local communities,” said Kirk Benge, health officer from San Juan County.
Eliason said the bill says nothing about local health departments. Eliason said the preemption language is in the original code and he was confused about the health departments' concerns.
"Just like we do with alcohol, tobacco and firearms … we believe the Legislature should set that policy so we have a consistent policy across the state instead of a patchwork quilt policy which is starting to develop," Eliason said.
The bill would increase the legal age incrementally, with the age increasing to 20 in July of 2020 and to 21 the next year.
The committee adopted a substitute to the bill that addressed some concerns raised with Eliason before the meeting. The substitute changed the penalty to youth from a class C misdemeanor to an infraction but raised the fee. It also increased the penalty for adults purchasing tobacco products to sell to youth to a third-degree felony.
