The new Kansas law takes effect on July 1 that bans minors under 18 from purchasing and possessing any electronic cigarette.

Todd Thompson, Leavenworth County Attorney, said several complaints from school officials stated that students were using them on school grounds.  Thompson said that the schools themselves can create rules about their use on school grounds but it was not illegal for kids to posses them.

To address this fact Thompson worked on the bill with Reps. Pat Colloton, Melanie Meier and Tom Sloan. Sloan is a Lawrence Republican.  Kansas Senate and House passed it in May and then Gov. Sam Brownback signed the bill just recently.

Doug Jorgensen, the ABC’s director, said:

Allowing kids under 18 that exposure to pure nicotine, which can be addictive, we just needed to take a look at controlling it

Trudy Cooley, an office manager for Safer Smoke Supply of Leavenworth, said the law won’t affect the company’s business because it already prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes to anyone younger than 18. She said that includes sales on the company’s website and through its vendors in Kansas and Missouri.

“It’s not because they are harmful,” Cooley said. “We just don’t need to promote this to kids. This is a safer way for people to smoke, and we don’t want kids just trying it for the heck of it.”

From a personal perspective, I am all for these type of local laws taking effect.  Like so many other addictive products,  minors should not be allowed open access to them.  I am sure several local laws like this one will begin appearing in Senate and House floors across the country.

What are your thoughts on this subject?

*Information on this article can be found here.


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