2024 Legislator Questionnaire Part 1: Legislator Information * First Name Last Name Address * Phone * (###) ### #### Email * District Number * Part 2: Background and Questions * Michigan lags behind other states when it comes to protecting kids and communities from the dangers of nicotine and tobacco. Despite progress in reducing smoking, tobacco use is still the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Michigan, and tobacco use imposes a terrible toll on families, businesses, and government. Here are the facts: -Tobacco kills more than 16,200 Michiganders annually – more than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides combined. -Tobacco costs our state over $5.33 billion in health care expenditures, including $1.46 billion in Medicaid spending, and more than $11.5 billion in lost productivity each year. -Michigan is one of 12 states that make up “Tobacco Nation” where the smoking prevalence is over 30% higher in Michigan (15.2%) compared to the rest of the country (11.5%). -Michigan is ranked at the bottom of the country in state spending on tobacco prevention, investing less than 2% of the CDC’s recommended amount. -Michigan’s weak regulations result in high rates of illegal sales to minors. For example, in 2023, 59% of federal compliance checks in Detroit resulted in an illegal sale to a minor. -Require tobacco retailers to be licensed just like liquor retailers so that the state can enforce tobacco laws like prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors. -Repeal ineffective penalties that punish kids for tobacco purchase, use and possession. The good news is there is a solution. The Protect MI Kids Bill Package – is pending action in the Legislature. The bills would: 1) Require tobacco retailers to be licensed just like liquor retailers so that the state can enforce tobacco laws like prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors. 2) Increase taxes on tobacco products with the money used to reduce tobacco use, particularly among children. 3) For the first time, tax e-cigarettes and vaping products containing nicotine just like cigarettes. 4) Allow local counties and cities to create restrictions on tobacco sales in their own community. 5) End the sale of flavored tobacco that can appeal to children including fruit and candy-flavored e-cigarettes, menthol-flavored cigarettes, and other flavored tobacco products. 1) Do you support this plan to reduce tobacco use in Michigan? Yes No Comments 2) Which of these statements do you agree with most: A. Michigan should do more to limit children's access to tobacco and vaping products. B. Michigan does enough to limit tobacco and vaping products to children. C. Michigan does too much to limit tobacco and vaping products to children. Flavored tobacco products are attractive to kids and can lead to a lifetime of tobacco addiction and disease. Most kids start using tobacco with flavored tobacco products, which are just as addictive and dangerous as other tobacco products. More than 16 percent of Michigan high school students are current tobacco users which is driven by e-cigarette use, aggressive marketing, and flavors. 3) Do you support ending the sale of flavored tobacco products that can appeal to children, including fruit and candy-flavored e-cigarettes, menthol-flavored cigarettes, flavored hookah tobacco, and other flavored tobacco products? Yes No Comments Michigan is one of only ten states that does not require tobacco retailers to be licensed to sell tobacco making it virtually impossible to enforce the state’s tobacco laws. This results in high rates of illegal sales to minors according to federal compliance checks. 4) Do you support requiring tobacco retailers in Michigan to be licensed to sell tobacco? Yes No Comments Michigan has not increased its cigarette tax in 20 years. Taxes are a particularly effective tool for discouraging youth uptake of cigarettes. Youth and young adults are two to three times more likely to respond to changes in prices than adults. Higher cigarette prices also make it more likely that adult smokers will quit. 5) Would you support a $1.50 per pack increase in the state cigarette tax, and an equivalent increase on other tobacco products like chewing tobacco with all of the money going to reduce tobacco use, particularly among children in Michigan? Yes No Comments Unlike cigarettes and other tobacco products, Michigan currently has no state tax on e-cigarettes or vaping products that contain nicotine. 6) Would you support taxing e-cigarettes and vaping products at an equivalent rate at which cigarettes are taxed? Yes No Comments Michigan state law currently prevents local jurisdictions from passing tobacco regulations that are stricter than statewide policies. In most other states, cities and counties can pass additional policies for how tobacco is regulated in their own community. * 7) Would you support restoring local control and repealing state law currently preventing local communities from passing stricter tobacco control policies if they so choose? Yes No Comments While Michigan does not license tobacco retailers, anyone under the age of 21 in Michigan can be charged with a misdemeanor crime for possessing, purchasing or using tobacco. Research and practice have shown that these punishments do not work, and they can exacerbate inequities in our policing system. 8) Would you support removing criminal penalties for those under 21 and instead holding tobacco retailers accountable for illegal sales?" Yes No Comments Thank you!
