MONTPELIER — On Friday the Vermont House passed a bill that would ban smoking in partially enclosed locations, including smoking tobacco in a car where a minor is present.
According to a press release, smoking would be banned inside locations at schools, workplaces, hotels, and places of public access.
“This public health measure continues to protect Vermonters from the impacts of tobacco,” Speaker of the House Shap Smith said in a statement. “In particular, I am pleased that we are putting in place safeguards to protect our young Vermonters from the impacts of second hand smoke on their long-term health and wellbeing.”
An amendment to raise the minimum age to buy tobacco in Vermont from 18 to 21 was withdrawn after some heated discussion. The House Democratic leadership promised that it would be taken up separately later in the year.
Currently there are two bills that increase the age for purchasing tobacco in the House Human Services Committee. One raises the age to 21, while the other does the same with an exception for members of the armed forces. They would still be able to purchase tobacco at 18.
The bill will now head to the Vermont Senate.
