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TRENDING TOPICS
BCMS
Supports SB 313
Measure would increase minimum age
for tobacco consumption, purchase
By Mary E. Nava, MBA
BCMS Chief Governmental and
Community Relations Officer
On Feb. 19,
I attended a hearing of the Senate Health and Human Services
Committee at the Capitol to lend our visibility and drop a card in
support of SB 313, a bill which would increase the age for
consumption/purchase of tobacco products from 18 to 21 years of
age.
The bill's
author, State Sen. Carlos Uresti (D-San Antonio), said during the
hearing that the bill is designed to save lives and mitigate costs
by keeping people off a lifelong addiction. Uresti said no other
state has enacted such a measure before, and Texas would be the
first state to do so.
John Nava,
MD, chairman of the BCMS Public Health and Patient Advocacy
Committee, stated, "This is one bill we ought to support as an
organization."
James
Humphreys, MD, chairman of the BCMS Legislative and Socioeconomics
Committee, echoed the same sentiments.
After the
hearing, I spoke with Uresti to personally convey a message of
support from BCMS President Gabriel Ortiz, MD. The senator thanked
me for BCMS' support of the legislation.
To read SB
313, click here.
Stay tuned
to this column for more updates on the status of bills and other
activities as the 83rd Legislative Session continues.
For local
discussion on the 83rd Legislative Session, First Tuesdays trips to
the Capitol, and other legislative and socioeconomic topics, plan
to join us at the next meeting of the BCMS Legislative and
Socioeconomics Committee at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, at the
BCMS office.
For more
information, contact Mary Nava
at
210-301-4395 or by email.
ABOVE: Members of
the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, led by Chair Sen.
Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound) (at head of table), listen
to Sen. Carlos Uresti (D-San Antonio) (right), as he lays out SB
313 on Feb. 19 in Austin.
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