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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 26, 2015 03:38 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Jason Dawkins |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Prohibiting Student Smoking at School Bus Stops (Formerly House Bill 2127) |
| In the near future, I plan to re-introduce legislation (House Bill 2127), which would prohibit students from smoking cigarettes at school bus stops. The statistics regarding smoking and juveniles are staggering. Among adult smokers, 68 percent began smoking regularly before the age of 19. In addition, each day, almost 3,900 children and adolescents try their first cigarette, and more than 950 of these kids will become regular smokers. Statistics show that individuals who start smoking at an early age are more likely to become addicted to nicotine than those who start smoking later in life. This legislation would prohibit students from smoking cigarettes within 25 feet of a school bus stop 30 minutes prior to the time of the school bus picking them up and 10 minutes after the bus drop-off time. The enforcement of this legislation would be at the discretion of the school through disciplinary action and/or a monetary fine. It is my hope that this legislation will work to shield children who have yet to be exposed to tobacco while also lessening the use of cigarettes by school-age children. Smoking is prohibited in schools and on school property, and I whole-heartedly believe it should also be prohibited at bus stops where children gather on a regular basis. |
Introduced as HB2126