Their view: Trump helps jihadis, harms Kurds in Syria, then falsely claims victory

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PSU Wilkes-Barre hosts zombie event to aid THON

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski has introduced his &#8220;Ban on Flavored Vapor Products Act&#8221; &#8212; H.B. 1994 &#8212; which would remove flavored vaping products from store shelves across Pennsylvania.</p><p>&#8220;Vapor products have been repeatedly called &#8216;safe&#8217; or &#8216;less dangerous&#8217; than cigarettes,&#8221; said Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre. &#8220;While it is true that vapor products contain far fewer carcinogens and toxicants, they still contain significant amounts of nicotine &#8212; the drug that makes cigarettes addictive in the first place.&#8221;</p><p>House Bill 1994 would reduce access to these dangerous products by penalizing retail stores up to $500 for the sale or production of flavored vaping products, with penalties increasing if violations continue. Individuals either selling or producing these products would also face increasing fines, starting at $250, and individuals buying these products would receive a fine of up to $200 as well as up to 75 hours of community service.</p><p>&#8220;For decades, the amount of young people using tobacco products was steadily declining, but that is no longer true,&#8221; Pashinski said. &#8220;From just 2017 to 2018, the percentage of high schoolers using tobacco products jumped from nearly 20% to 27%. This dramatic increase was mainly caused by flavored vaping products. My bill will swiftly address this disturbing trend by keeping these harmful products off Pennsylvania&#8217;s shelves.&#8221;</p><p>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the increase in youth tobacco use has been driven largely by e-cigarettes, with use increasing from 11.6% to 20.8% from 2017 to 2018.</p><p>It had become the most popular tobacco product among high school students as of 2018, and according to another survey, 81.5% of youth (12-17) who had used e-cigarettes in the last 30 days cited that they used them because &#8220;they come in flavors I like.&#8221; Some of these flavors are Captain Crunch, bubble gum, and cotton candy.</p><p>&#8220;Smoking in any form has been proven to be unhealthy, and no law or regulation will completely prevent people from smoking,&#8221; Pashinski said. &#8220;It is incumbent upon all elected officials to represent and protect the people by sharing factual information and attempting to pass legislation or regulations to protect their well-being and guide them to make informed decisions.&#8221;</p><p>Pashinski said it&#8217;s time for Pennsylvania to combat this recent spike in teen tobacco product usage and the public health concerns that come with it.</p><p>&#8220;My legislation is a critical step toward making that happen,&#8221; he said.</p><p>The bill has 35 co-sponsors and awaits referral to committee.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Pashinski </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_Pashinski-cmyk.jpg</photo0><caption0>Pashinski </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Pashinski introduces bill to ban flavored vaping products in Pa.