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DPH to educate public on inclusion of e-cigarette in Smoke-Free Air Act
The Division of Public Health of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. supports and will be educating the public on the inclusion of e-cigarettes in the Smoke-Free Air Act of the Commonwealth.
Through Public Law 19-32, it is now illegal in the CNMI to use e-cigarettes in places where smoking is prohibited by the Smoke-Free Air Act.
“Increasing access to smoke-free air has been a priority for the Division of Public Health Services and including e-cigarettes in the law will further promote our mission to achieve optimal health and well-being for the people of the CNMI,” Public Health Services director Margarita Torres Aldan said.
The Smoke-Free Air Act of 2008 or Public Law 16-46, which now includes e-cigarettes, prohibits smoking in government buildings and vehicles, public places, places of employment, and school and college campuses.
Smoking is also prohibited in outdoor areas that are within 25 feet of an enclosed smoke-free area.
“This law protects non-smokers who might be in an enclosed area from involuntary exposure to toxins. The NCDB looks forward to including e-cigarettes in our community education effort on the Smoke-Free Air Act,” DPH-Non-Communicable Disease Bureau administrator Becky Robles said.
To further fulfill their goal of increasing access to smoke-free environments for 75 percent of the CNMI adult population by next year, the University of Hawaii, in partnership with the NCD Bureau, hired part-time local project assistant, Jessica Lorfing.
“Drastically improving compliance with PL 16-46 and PL 19-32 is crucial to reaching our goal. We have developed an educational toolkit for the community that includes information on e-cigarettes,” Lorfing said.
“Adding e-cigarettes to our educational toolkit strengthens our efforts to ensure smoke-free air at places protected by the law. This year, we are specifically focusing on helping bars, poker rooms, and hotel establishments become compliant,” she added.
