The Emphysema Foundation of America is proud to join Breathe Southern California in sponsoring California’s Assembly Bill 619 (Calderon), which requires the California Department of Public Health to conduct provider awareness for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and also require counties to include provisions in the next iteration of their emergency plan that address the adverse effects of wildfire smoke on lung health.
COPD is an umbrella term used to describe progressive lung diseases including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and refractory asthma. This disease is characterized by increasing difficulty in breathing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightening. COPD is incurable, but it can be managed to slow the progression of the disease. Nationally, COPD is the fourth-leading cause of death, and in California, it is the fifth.
According to National Institute of Health findings, despite nearly 150,000 COPD-related deaths each year, government funding for disease research and programs is dwarfed by funding for other diseases. Among all diseases and conditions receiving research funding from the National Institutes of Health in 2019, COPD ranks 172nd. Because Washington will not step up to address this clear need, we need Sacramento to do its part.
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The Emphysema Foundation of America is proud to support the following bills:
This legislation will make prescription drug cost information available at the point of care, which will help prevent unnecessary delays in care and treatment. Learn more
Prohibits the sale or provision of any quantity of electronic liquid used to refill an electronic cigarette or cartridge. Learn more
Requires the department of health to establish nicotine levels for electronic cigarettes and e-liquids which automatically taper in nicotine strength in amounts and at certain time intervals; further requires manufacturers to only manufacture, cause to be manufactured, or sold, in this state, any electronic cigarette or e-liquid unless such product automatically tapers in nicotine strength in amounts and at certain time intervals as determined by the department of health. Learn more
Provides that every package containing an electronic cigarette and the electronic cigarette itself, as defined in subdivision thirteen of section thirteen hundred ninety-nine-aa of the public health law, sold, offered for sale or otherwise distributed without charge within this state, shall be designed by the department of health and such package containing an electronic cigarette and the electronic cigarette itself shall include printed thereon or attached thereto a health warning and disclaimer label designed by the department of health. Learn more
Establishes a statewide home air quality improvement program to improve control of respiratory conditions like asthma in children and teenagers and reduces prevalence of environmental triggers for respirator conditions
The Emphysema Foundation of America opposes the following bills because the legislation does not go nearly far enough to discourage teen and pre-teen purchase of vaping products: Learn more
Legislation would result in an increase in usage of addictive flavored nicotine products by young people by preventing the Department of Public Health and Human Services from regulating alternative nicotine or vapor products like e-cigarettes and separating nicotine from the definition of tobacco products. Learn more
This bill would permit city or county governments to impose restrictions or requirements on the use, display, sale, and distribution of tobacco products or vapor products that are stricter than those imposed under state law. Learn more
This bill would apply the vapor products tax to an open vaping system when the actual price includes both the components and the liquid solution; apply the tax to the liquid solution when it is sold separately. Learn more
This bill would permit city or county governments to impose restrictions or requirements on the use, display, sale, and distribution of tobacco products or vapor products that are stricter than those imposed under state law. Learn more
This bill requires the development of a model curriculum designed for the purpose of substance use and addiction prevention which shall align with the health curriculum framework and address the following topics: tobacco, alcohol, opiate and prescription drug diversion and use and other substance use and use prevention, conflict resolution, healthy coping behavior, student and community mental health resources and peer leadership. Learn more
This bill imposes a restriction of smoking in a motor vehicle where a child is present. Learn more
This bill prohibits of the sale of tobacco, electric smoking devices, or alternative nicotine products to individuals under 21 years old. Learn more
This bill requires the State Board of Education to include instruction on the use and effects of vapor products and adds tobacco and vapor products to the definition of drug use. Learn more
This bill authorizes any political subdivision of this state to increase the tax levied on cigarettes and tobacco products within its boundaries if a majority of the qualified voters of the political subdivision approve of the increase. Learn more
This bill changes the age of a minor for purposes of tobacco sales and possession from 18 to 21 years of age. Learn more
This bill modifies the Indoor Clean Air Act to include vapor products such as electronic cigarettes and vapor cartridges in the definition of “smoking”, thereby extending existing prohibitions on smoking in public places. Learn more
This bill requires that all companies that sell electronic cigarettes shall annually disclose to the commissioner of health their online advertising expenditures. Learn more
This bill Prohibits smoking within 50 feet of all entrances to state office buildings and restricts smoking outside buildings with indoor smoking restrictions. Learn more
This bill Establishes a Minority Coordinating Council on Asthmatic Affairs within the department of health to assess the asthma risk factors for the minority citizens of NY. Learn more
This bill prohibits the sale or distribution of tobacco products to an underage individual. Learn more
This bill makes it a Class C infraction if a person or retail establishment sells or distributes tobacco, an e-liquid, or an electronic cigarette without performing age verification. Learn more
This bill prohibits the sale of flavored tobacco products and their components, including: (1) cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco; and (2) tobacco products that have a characterizing flavor. Learn more
This bill prohibits the sale of flavored e-liquid to a person of any age and defines “flavored e-liquid” as e-liquid that contains a constituent ingredient that is added for the purpose of imparting a characterizing flavor. Learn more
This bill imposes a taxation of tobacco, tobacco products, and nicotine products. Learn more
This bill increases the minimum age to purchase or possess cigarettes and tobacco products from 18 to 21 and prohibits cigarette vending machines and flavored vaping products. Learn more
This bill establishes the “Find to Prevent Use of Tobacco and Electronic Smoking Devices” in the Department of Treasury for the purpose of supporting activities to promote awareness of the adverse health conditions associated with the use of tobacco and electronic smoking devices. Learn more
This bill creates annual retail tobacco license, which must be obtained by retailers before engaging in the retail sale of tobacco products; establishes tax on closed-system and open-system vapor products. Learn more
This bill requires the department of health to post on its website information from the centers for disease control and prevention concerning the health effects and dangers of persons using vapor products and requires the department of health, in coordination with the department of education, to disseminate the information to students in public middle schools, junior high schools, and senior high schools in this state. Learn more
This bill authorizes a municipality, a county, or a county having a metropolitan form of government to prohibit the use of tobacco products or vapor products, or both, on the grounds of a public park, public playground, or public greenway as long as the public park, public playground, or public greenway is owned or controlled by the respective municipality or county. Learn more
Authorizes counties with a population greater than 180,000 to regulate smoking and the use of vapor products; prohibits the use of vapor products in certain places. Learn more
This bill exempts smokeless nicotine products from the tax on tobacco products and cigarettes. Learn more
This bill allows an age-restricted venue to continue to permit smoking in the venue even if the venue employs a person under 21 years of age if the employee is at least 16 years of age, the child of the owner of the venue, and the venue is not an adult-oriented establishment. Learn more
