Bill Regulating E-Cigarettes OK'd By Committee
BOSTON (AP) — A bill that would place electronic cigarettes under the state's existing tobacco control law is making its way through the Massachusetts Statehouse.
The Committee on Public Health on Tuesday gave the bill a thumbs-up, shipping it to lawmakers for debate.
The bill would ban the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, prohibit their use on school property and regulate their use in the workplace and public spaces.
The bill, sponsored by Boston Democratic state Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez, has the backing of Attorney General Martha Coakley.
The metal or plastic battery-powered devices resemble traditional cigarettes but heat a liquid nicotine solution, creating vapor that users inhale. Users get nicotine without the chemicals, tar or odor of regular cigarettes.
Dozens of Massachusetts communities, including Boston, Pittsfield and Taunton, already bar the sale of e-cigarettes to minors.
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