SB 141-E-CIGS: SALE TO AND POSSESSION BY MINOR  2:53:11 PM CHAIR COSTELLO announced the consideration of SB 141. SENATOR GARY STEVENS, Alaska State Legislature, sponsor of SB 141, explained that this bill attempts to keep electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) out of the hands of children. It is not a tax bill or an attempt to control e-cigarettes for adults. This isn't being addressed on the federal level so several states have taken action on their own. He recited the following from Mitch Zeller the director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products to emphasize the importance of this issue: What I can definitely say is that nicotine is harmful to the developing teenage brain. No teenager, no young person should be using any tobacco or nicotine containing products. E-cigarettes are among the products that should be kept firmly out of the hands and mouths of adolescents. 2:54:41 PM TIM LAMKIN, Staff, Senator Gary Stevens, Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska, presented SB 141 on behalf of the sponsor. He displayed a brief slide show to illustrate the types and uses of e-cigarettes and clarified that the bill is about protecting youth. Smoking e-cigarettes or vaping is the latest fad among youths and an entire subculture exists around the activity. He related that e-cigarette use began in 1963 but didn't take root because tobacco smoking was more fashionable. But as tobacco consumption has declined, e-cigarettes have resurfaced as the vice of the future. The modern e-cigarette was introduced in the U.S. in about 2007, and there are now about 500 related products in the U.S. market alone. Varieties are expected to grow with demand. MR. LAMKIN said there is a lot of support for keeping e- cigarettes out of the hands of youth, but it's already in their hands. They are arguably the target audience. He warned that proponents of e-cigarettes will say they're better than regular tobacco. While that may or may not be true, it doesn't mean they're good for you. Another argument is that they aid in smoking cessation. That, too, may or may not be true, but that more likely applies to older smokers. Some proponents also argue that it's about personal freedoms, but teenagers don't have all the personal freedoms as adults. SB 141 is about long-term health and healthy lifestyles. CHAIR COSTELLO held SB 141 in committee for further consideration and public testimony.