THE REVERE ADVOCATE–Wednesday, November 27, 2019 Page 17 BEACON| FROM PAGE 16 legislation. “By banning the sale of the fl avored products that attract young people, implementing a 75 percent excise tax on e-cigarettes, and expanding coverage of cessation treatment, we are telling Big Tobacco their days of hooking kids in Massachusetts are over. Hopefully, this eff ort will serve as a road map for the rest of the country. I am proud to stand with my colleagues in the Massachusetts Legislature in passing this landmark legislation.” “We are disappointed the Legislature supports bills that disproportionately impact communities of color and have disastrous implications for public health, public safety, state tax revenue and jobs in the commonwealth,” said Jon Shaer, executive director of the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketer Association. “The House and Senate bills claim to address youth vaping, but by including menthol and mint tobacco they target adults and, in particular, minority adults and their communities. Action to positively impact youth vaping is achievable without banning menthol and mint tobacco – legal, adult products that aren’t associated with youth overuse and have no reason to be included in this legislation.” “This legislation is a critical step to help end the worsening youth e-cigarette epidemic and stop tobacco companies from using appealing fl avors to lure kids into a lifetime of addiction,” said Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “It would make Massachusetts the fi rst state in the nation to prohibit the sale of all fl avored tobacco products.” “While I wholeheartedly supported the ban on fl avored tobacco and vaping products, I thought the ban on menthol cigarettes was an overreach,” said Rep. Chris Hendricks (DNew Bedford). “Menthol cigarettes have been around for 100 years and I fi nd the claim that menthols have led to a rise in smoking among adolescents to be unpersuasive. I do acknowledge that minority communities have been unfairly targeted with menthol advertising by the tobacco industry for decades. However, a proper remedy to that behavior should not be a ban on menthol cigarettes.” “The … vote to support removing all fl avors from tobacco products is essential for reducing their appeal to youth,” said Allyson Perron Drag, the government relations director for the American Heart Association in Massachusetts. “The evidence is clear that fl avors have played a key role in increasing their appeal among our children. Today’s vote is a crucial step in protecting future generations from a lifetime of addiction to deadly tobacco products.” “These products are already outlawed for children,” said Rep. Shaunna O’Connell (R-Taunton). “I trust that adults can make intelligent decisions on these products.” “Representing border communities, this bill will just send even more business over the border and some of that business will be young adults,” said Rep. Colleen Garry (DDracut). “I don’t think it will stop people from smoking. It will just have them buying cigarettes and other things in New Hampshire.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Bob DeLeo Rep. RoseLee Vincent Sen. Joseph Boncore Yes Yes Yes ALLOW MENTHOL CIGARETTES (S 2407) Senate 11-27, rejected an amendment that would exempt menthol cigarettes from the ban and allow them to be sold. Amendment supporters said the ban on menthol cigarettes goes too far. They noted adults are old enough to have freedom of choice and decide whether they want to smoke menthol cigarettes. Amendment opponents said menthol has the ability to make the intake of chemicals and nicotine smoother -- allowing smokers to take nicotine in more frequently which results in a quicker and stronger addiction. They noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned all fl avored cigarettes except menthol in 2009. They argued it is time to include menthol in the ban. (A “Yes” vote is for allowing the sale of menthol cigarettes. A “No” vote is against allowing it.) Sen. Joseph Boncore No TAX CREDIT FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO USE SMOKING CESSATION PRODUCTS (S 2407) Senate 7-32, rejected an amendment providing up to a $500 tax credit for smokers who purchase smoking cessation products or get counseling to stop smoking. Amendment supporters said this modest tax credit will be an additional incentive to try to stop smoking and will actually save some people from smoking-related illnesses or death. Amendment opponents said the bill already requires private and state workers’ health insurance plans to cover cessation products and counseling and exempts products available only by prescription from the sales tax. They noted that there has been no estimate of how much the tax credit will cost the state in lost revenue. (A “Yes” vote is for the tax credit. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Joseph Boncore No BAN ON PLASTIC BAGS (S 2410) Senate 36-4, approved and sent to the House a bill that would prohibit stores from providing customers with a single-use carryout bag -- defi ned as “made of plastic, paper or other material that is provided by a store to a customer at the point of sale and that is not a recycled paper bag or a reusable grocery bag.” Stores would have the option to make recycled paper bags available for a charge of at least 10 cents. The measure exempts companies that have fewer than three stores, less than 4,000 square feet of retail space per store and not more than 15 employees. The bill would preempt existing plastic bag bans already implemented in cities and towns in order to provide consistency for stores across the state. The ban would continue to allow for plastic bags for specifi c products where plastic serves an enhanced purpose, such as for produce, poultry or other food items to keep them fresh, or for frozen items or items prone to leak. “As the lead Senate sponsor of the plastic bag ban since I fi rst arrived in the Senate in 2009, I am proud to join my senator colleagues in passing one of the strongest plastic bag bans in the country,” said Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) … “I’m extremely pleased that the Senate has passed legislation that will address the negative impacts of single-use plastic bags on our environment.” “We should fi nd ways to recycle single-use plastic bags properly,” said Sen. Dean Tran (R-Fitchburg). “Banning them is not the right approach to addressing the recycling issue “This will not help the environment but rather creates a hardship on our low income and senior citizen population.” “We are grateful that the Senate took action last night on an important environmental issue ---reducing plastic waste,” said MASSPIRG Executive Director Janet Domenitz. “Plastic bags start out as fossil fuels and end up as pollution in landfi lls and incinerators; or as litter in our parks, neighborhoods and oceans. We need to go back to the future--reducing waste and single use plastics.” “Unfortunately, the Senate’s plastic bag ban will increase operating costs for Main Street businesses and raise prices for shoppers trying to balance household budgets,” said Christopher Carlozzi, the Massachusetts state director of the National Federation of Independent Business. “Most consumers already reuse shopping bags to line garbage cans, pack their lunches or dispose of animal waste. Instead of a ban, the Senate should have focused their eff orts on promoting and educating the public on plastic bag recycling programs.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Joseph Boncore Yes HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of November 18-22, the House met for a total of 26 hours and nine minutes and the Senate met for a total of 18 hours and 37 minutes. Mon. November 18 House 11:00 a.m. to 2:32 p.m. Senate 11:08 a.m. to 11:18 a.m. Tues. November 19 House 11:17 a.m. to 4:10 p.m. Senate 11:26 a.m. to 4:07 p.m. Wed. November 20 House 11:01 a.m. to 12:47 a.m. on Thursday Senate 11:05 a.m. to 12:49 a.m. on Thursday Thurs. November 21 No House session Senate 11:09 a.m. to 11:11 a.m. Fri. November 22 House 12:30 p.m. to 4:28 p.m. No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com How to Know When an Older Parent Has a Gambling Problem Dear Savvy Senior, I’m worried that my 76-year-old father has become addicted to gambling. He spends at least two days a week at an Indian casino about a half-hour’s drive from his house playing slot machines. What can I do? Worried Daughter Dear Worried, Problem gambling among older adults is unfortunately on the rise. Studies suggest that more than 4 million Americans, age 65 and older, could have a gambling problem. The reasons behind this growing problem are because seniors have time and money on their hands and the infl ux of casinos that have cropped up around the country have made access to gambling much more convenient. Here’s what you should know, along with some tips and resources that can help your dad if he does indeed have a problem. Problem Gambling For most older adults, gambling is simply a fun recreational activity, but for those who become addicted to it, it can be a devastating disease that can fi nancially wipe them out. There are a number of reasons why seniors can be vulnerable to gambling problems. For starters, seniors are often catered to by casinos with free bus transportation, free drinks, discounted meals, special rewards and other prizes as a way to entice them. In addition, many seniors use gambling as a way to distract or escape feelings of loneliness, depression or even a chronic health condition. Some may have fi nancial problems they are seeking to overcome. And some may have cognitive impairment that interferes with their ability to make sound decisions. Adding to the problem is that many seniors may not understand addiction, making them less likely to identify a gambling problem. Or they may be confused or embarrassed that they can’t control their urges to gamble and reluctant to seek help because they think that at their age, they should know better. And even if they recognize that they have a problem, they may not know that help is available or where to get it. You should also know that while there are many gambling options for people to get hooked on today, casino slot machines are far and away the most popular among seniors. Slot machines are much more addictive then the old machines of yesteryear with spinning lemons, cherries and melons. Many of today’s slot machines off er intense sensory stimulation with large video screens, music and vibrating, ergonomic chairs. Get Help How can you know if your dad has a gambling problem? Gamblers Anonymous off ers a 20-question online test at GamblersAnonymous.org that he can take to help determine if he has a problem. In the meantime, here are some questions you can ask to help evaluate his situation. Is he preoccupied with gambling, constantly talking about it, or planning to gamble versus doing his normal activities? Is he gambling more and more money to get the same level of excitement? Is he using his retirement funds or other savings to gamble, or is he pawning or selling personal items to get money to gamble with? Has he lost control to the point that he can’t set a limit of time and money to spend in the casino, and stick to it? Does he become uncomfortable, angry or lie when you ask him about his gambling activities? If your dad answers yes to any of these questions, he may have a problem. To fi nd help contact the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPgambling.org), a non-profi t organization that operates a 24-hour national hotline at 800522-4700. They can direct you to resources in your area, including counselors who have been trained through the National Certifi ed Gambler Counseling Program. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
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