CCAGW Urges Colorado House Health and Insurance Committee to Oppose HB 1064
State Action
March 15, 2022
House Committee on Health & Insurance
200 East Colfax Avenue
Denver, Colorado 80203
Dear Representative,
On behalf of 36,367 members and supporters of Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), I urge you to oppose HB 1064, which would ban the sale of all flavored tobacco and nicotine products including e-cigarettes. While the bill is intended to curb youth vaping and traditional cigarette use, the legislation would also ban flavored tobacco harm reduction (THR) products adult smokers rely on to quit smoking for good.
The bill texts notes, “Use of tobacco products remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing more than 480,000 Americans each year, including 5,100 each year in Colorado.” This is why banning flavored THR products is flawed. More than 3 million U.S. adults used THR products to quit smoking from 2007 to 2015. These products have been proven to be less harmful than traditional cigarettes.
It is already illegal for youth to purchase and use tobacco or nicotine products. Instead of limiting access to the products that help adult smokers quit, legislators should enforce the laws already on the books to prevent youth vaping. This would include holding retailers accountable for selling to minors and enforcing ID laws.
Other countries understand and promote the significant benefits of THR products. In July 2017, England’s Department of Health and Social Care published a tobacco harm reduction plan that promoted the adoption of THR products and helped to reduce smoking from 20.2 percent of adults to 15.5 percent.
Colorado legislators should respect and consider the research and data that support THR products and continue to make them available, including flavors, to help smokers continue to quit. Again, I urge you to vote against HB 1064.
Sincerely,
Tom Schatz
President, CCAGW
