Thursday, November 21, 2019
Senate Sends Flavored Nicotine Ban Bill to Governor
The House and Senate agreed to final version of the bill in this, our final formal session for the year, which contained three amendments which I authored. One, called Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention, will set funds aside to be used for the state's program of reducing the health and economic burden of tobacco use.
Specifically, the amendment requires money collected from fines from this act to be used by the Department of Public Health's Tobacco and Prevention Program. This is a statewide public health program focused on tobacco and nicotine use reduction. It helps nicotine users to quit, and protects children and adults from secondhand smoke. Currently the program is supported by both state and federal funds. These funds also are directed to municipal boards of health to support enactment and enforcement of local tobacco regulations and regional Tobacco-Free Community Partnership work.
