The following is presented as part of The Columbian’s Opinion content, which offers a point of view in order to provoke thought and debate of civic issues. Opinions represent the viewpoint of the author. Unsigned editorials represent the consensus opinion of The Columbian’s editorial board, which operates independently of the news department.
Not to imply that they aren’t already, but stores selling e-cigarette supplies should be careful about carding customers from now on.
The state’s recent settlement with Juul, the purveyor of nicotine-laced vaping liquids, comes with more than its healthy price tag of $22 million for marketing its products to the state’s youth. No guilt was admitted, which is how settlements work, but there’s more than just a cash payout involved.
It also requires the company to conduct “secret shopper” programs at e-cigarette retailers in all of the state’s 39 counties at a rate of 25 “stings” per month over two years, making sure the person behind the counter checks the age of the purchaser and follows legal limits on the number of devices and pods.
These will be in addition to checks by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board.
In announcing the settlement last month, Attorney General Bob Ferguson accused Juul of taking a page from the marketing playbook that Big Tobacco used for decades to get youngsters hooked on its products. But there was a definite 21st century twist, with flavors like mango and crème brûleé.
Juul, it should be noted, has been a player in Washington legislative campaigns over the last three years, with about $120,000 in contributions to legislators and political caucus committees on both sides. The Leadership Fund, which supports Senate Republicans and the Reagan Fund, which supports House Republicans, have each banked $30,000; the Truman Fund, the House Democrats’ coffers, took $25,000. The Kennedy Fund, which supports Senate Democrats, got a relatively paltry $5,000.
You can bet on it
The state is struggling with the transition from having residents place their sports bets with a bookie or various websites — which are illegal — to having them place sports bets at licensed Indian casinos. But as Washington Gambling Commissioner Steve Conway noted at a recent meeting of that body, March Madness highlighted the magnitude of the problem.
“There’s all kinds of websites for people to bet on these games,” he said. “I mean, sports betting is galloping away in our country.”
The Legislature set aside $6 million in state funds last year to create loans to casinos to help crack down on black market sports betting. But that’s difficult, commission staff said, because some online betting operations are based outside of the United States, making it difficult to bring legal action against them. Any help Conway could provide in explaining that to lawmakers would be appreciated, they added.
“The Legislature sometimes responds to an issue and they don’t clearly understand the complexity of how we can address it,” Conway said.
Considering he’s been in the state Senate for 12 years and was in the House for 18 before that, he probably knows whereof he speaks.
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