Brief Description: Prohibiting tobacco product sampling.

Sponsors: Senators Oke, Brown, Keiser, Swecker, Kline, Morton, Rockefeller, Deccio, Thibaudeau, Finkbeiner, McAuliffe, Sheldon, Rasmussen, Spanel, Berkey, Eide, Doumit, Regala, Kohl-Welles, Jacobsen, Franklin, Haugen, Fraser, Kastama and Weinstein.

Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research & Development
House Committee on Health Care

Background: Cigarette manufacturers distribute free samples as a marketing technique. The Washington State Liquor Control Board regulates the business of sampling tobacco products. Upon payment of an annual fee, a person engaged in the business of sampling may distribute samples in authorized areas. Current law prohibits the distribution of free samples to minors.

Summary: Distributing tobacco product samples to members of the public is prohibited. Any violation of this prohibition is a misdemeanor. Various provisions of the laws regulating sampling are deleted or repealed. The section of the bill relating to identification to purchase alcohol is amended to incorporate changes made to the section in SHB 1492 which passed during the 2005 session.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      39   6
House      73   25

Effective: June 7, 2006