Resolve, To Study the Protection of Youth and Young Adults from Addiction and Premature Death by Restricting Marketing of Tobacco Products

Sec. 1. Office of Attorney General to research State's ability to restrict marketing of tobacco products to youth and young adults. Resolved: That the Office of the Attorney General shall research regulatory options for protecting youth and young adults from the marketing of tobacco products, including electronic nicotine delivery systems. When appropriate, research under this section may be conducted in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. The research must include at a minimum:

1. Investigating where and how youth and young adults are being exposed to industry marketing of all tobacco products and their delivery systems and the efficacy of such marketing;

2. Examining the legal options to limit youth and young adult exposure to industry marketing;

3. Examining the legal options to limit the number of and location of tobacco retailer licenses, including limiting the total number of licenses issued, limiting the number of licenses in an area based on population, restricting retail locations in relation to schools, playgrounds and other areas where youth and young adults congregate, specifying an allowable distance between tobacco retailers and specifying an allowable distance between tobacco retailers and tobacco-free pharmacies;

4. Designing a system to encourage members of the public to report to the federal Food and Drug Administration any marketing of tobacco products that makes health or therapeutic claims; and

5. Examining any other legislative options available for restricting the marketing of all tobacco products.

Sec. 2. Report. Resolved: That, no later than February 1, 2020, the Office of the Attorney General shall submit a report with the results of the research under section 1 to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. The committee shall submit a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature related to the report.

summary

This resolve requires the Office of the Attorney General to research marketing practices by the tobacco industry and regulatory options for the State to employ to curb youth and young adult use of and addiction to tobacco products, including electronic nicotine delivery systems. The Office of the Attorney General is required to report its findings to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services by February 1, 2020, and the committee is required to submit a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature related to the report.