Drafter
Clerk 01/08/2020
Title
A RESOLUTION encouraging the Washington state Legislature to adopt broad regulations to protect Washington's youth from the potential harmful effects of vapor product use.
Body
WHEREAS, according to the World Health Organization, the prevalence of tobacco smoking has decreased steadily since the beginning of the twenty-first century, and
WHEREAS, in 2016 the United States Office of the Surgeon General released a report on E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults, and
WHEREAS, most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly addictive chemical that can harm adolescent brain development, and
WHEREAS, the younger an individual start using nicotine, the more likely they will become addicted, and
WHEREAS, one in four high school seniors in King County report vaping in the past 30 days, and
WHEREAS, on July 18, 2019, the King County Board of Health was briefed on vaping in King County by Public Health - Seattle & King County subject matter experts and representatives from the youth, LGBTQ and educator communities on the impacts of vaping and their experience, and
WHEREAS, as of December 27, 2019, a total of 2,561 hospitalized cases of lung injury associated with vaping known as EVALI, including 55 deaths, have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("the CDC"), and
WHEREAS, as of December 12, 2019, seven incidents of severe lung disease associated with vaping have been reported in King County, and
WHEREAS, on September 27, 2019, Governor Jay Inslee issued Executive Order 19-03 that directed the Washington state Department of Health to ban flavored vapor products and work to identify the cause of a recent outbreak of vaping-related lung injuries, and
WHEREAS, the King County Board of Health submitted a letter to the Washington state Board of Health supporting the need to act and demonstrating the King County Board of Health's commitment to taking action to prevent vaping-related lung injuries, and
W...
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