The Alaska House of Representatives is preparing for a final vote to prohibit Alaskans 18 and under from buying electronic cigarettes and the liquid used within them.<\/p>\n
State law<\/a> already prohibits stores from selling e-cigarettes with nicotine liquids to juveniles; Senate Bill 15<\/a> would extend that ban to cover liquids that do not contain nicotine.<\/p>\n On Monday, the House Finance Committee approved SB 15 with dissent from only Rep. Tammie Wilson, R-North Pole. Wilson suggested, then withdrew, an amendment that would have overwritten the core of the bill<\/a>. In formal documents, she had support from Rep. Cathy Tilton, R-Wasilla. Tilton did not speak during the discussion.<\/p>\n The bill now goes to the House Rules Committee for scheduling, and while that is normally a formality, House Rules Chairwoman Gabrielle LeDoux, R-Anchorage, has repeatedly held bills relating to smoking.<\/p>\n This year, she has delayed a vote on Senate Bill 63<\/a>, which would prohibit smoking in most indoor public places.<\/p>\n SB 63 has wide support in the House, and even though members of the rules committee have supported changes to the bill by LeDoux (in an attempt to get it to a floor vote), it has failed to advance.<\/p>\n Through a staffer, she declined comment Tuesday on SB 15, which is sponsored by Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, and passed the Senate in an 18-0 vote last month<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Alaska vaping trade organization, Clear the Air Alaska, has argued that e-cigarette use is a safer alternative to smoking<\/a>.<\/p>\n Stevens, speaking last month, said that doesn’t mean e-cigarettes are safe. He pointed to an article in the journal Pediatrics<\/a> that found elevated levels of cancer-causing volatile organic compounds in the bodies of teenagers who use e-cigarettes.<\/p>\n “These products are assumed to be safe and harmless, but that is absolutely not the truth,” Stevens said.<\/p>\n