Montgomery County Officials Back Attorney General's Anti-Tobacco Legislation

Header--Montgomery County, Maryland. Press Releases

mh/tobacco.ma 98-66

Contact: David Weaver, 301-217-6530
For Immediate Release: March 3, 1998

Montgomery County Officials Back
Attorney General's Anti-Tobacco Legislation

There are photos and audio files for this press event.

Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan and County Council President Isiah Leggett joined Maryland Attorney General Joseph Curran in calling for the passage of State anti-tobacco legislation that would make it easier for Maryland to collect millions of dollars from the tobacco industry for costs associated with smoking illnesses. Hearings on the legislation, proposed by Curran in Senate Bill 652 and House Bill 972, begin next week in the Maryland General Assembly. The officials were joined in their announcement by dozens of State and local anti-tobacco activists.

"Both Ike and I agree that the Attorney General's legislation is the key to ensuring that all of our taxpayers receive a fair share of any settlement the State reaches with the tobacco industry," said Duncan. "Smoking-related illnesses have cost this State dearly, both in terms of money as well as lives."

Curran proposed the legislation to clarify that the State could bring suit on behalf of itself rather than bringing every individual smoker before the court to prove how much their illness cost the State.

"We have been fighting an army of tobacco lobbyists in Annapolis over this bill, but I'm proud to say our Montgomery County reinforcements are on the way," said Curran. "Doug Duncan and Ike Leggett and all the county officials and anti-tobacco activists assembled here today are to be commended for stepping forward to support a bill that I believe will help us return hundreds of millions of dollars to all state taxpayers."

According to the Attorney General, three states -- Florida ($11.3 billion), Mississippi ($3.6 billion) and Texas ($15.3 billion) -- have settled their suits with the tobacco industry because of similar laws or legal rulings.

Duncan used the occasion to announce another anti-tobacco effort. Duncan said that Montgomery County's Board of Liquor License Commissioners will soon begin tobacco law compliance testing to determine the extent to which that tobacco products are being sold to minors. Duncan is including nearly $30,000 in his recommended FY 99 operating budget for the agency to hire part-time youths to test local retailers.

Under the plan, which mirrors a program in Virginia, an undercover inspector will enter a retail store just prior to the arrival of a hired underage teen tester. The teen will request to purchase a tobacco product. If the clerk is willing to sell the product to the teen, that clerk will be handed a card instead of cash that says that they are about to violate State law. Within 30 days, the owner or manager of the retail store will receive a letter confirming the transaction. If the clerk asks for identification and proof of age from the tester, the clerk will receive a card that thanks them for protecting the health of young people by refusing to sell tobacco to a minor. Implementation of the testing program is expected to begin in July.

"I believe this program is a good start and it will be a good barometer to the severity of the problem in Montgomery County," said Duncan. "I fully intend to begin an enforcement component in the very near future that will compliment this testing effort."

Montgomery County has more than 900 establishments that are licensed by the State of Maryland to sell tobacco.

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