Gov. Brown should sign tobacco bills

Kudos to The Fresno Bee Editorial Board for backing proposed state legislation to regulate e-cigarettes as tobacco products, which was voted upon and passed by the Assembly and Senate.

Usage among adolescents has tripled in the last two years and recent studies have shown e-cigarette formulas contain large quantities of nicotine. The aerosols emitted contain harmful carcinogens.

E-cigarettes should be considered tobacco products and should be subject to all laws that apply to other tobacco products, including smoke-free air laws.

Regulations are needed to not only protect public health and restrict the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, but to curb the intense marketing and advertising to youth.

Now it’s time for Gov. Jerry Brown to do the right thing by signing the legislation into law. It’s time for California to be a leader in health once more.

This story was originally published March 12, 2016 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Gov. Brown should sign tobacco bills."