SITKA, Alaska (AP) — The smoking age in Sitka is unlikely to change, as officials say convincing Sitka Assembly members has been a struggle.
The Daily Sitka Sentinel reports that city Health Needs and Human Services Commission Assembly Liaison Tristan Guevin told the commission Wednesday that Assembly members have been reluctant to back the commission’s goals.
A motion supporting the commission’s health priorities — to raise the tobacco sale age to 21 and to add a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages — was passed with a 4-3 vote at a February Assembly meeting.
Guevin says even getting those goals approved was a struggle, meaning it’s unlikely either initiative will gain traction with the assembly despite support by the public and the commission.
