Ukuvinjelwa kokubhema eColumbus, e-Ohio, okuhlanganisa nesitolo saseWayne County

Embikweni wakamuva wokuthengiswa kwemikhiqizo yokukhipha umphunga engekho emthethweni, Ummeli Jikelele wase-Ohio uDave Yost ufake izikhalazo ngokumelene namabhizinisi amathathu ase-Ohio, okuhlanganisa nesitolo eWayne County. Lezi zitolo bezisolwa ngokudayisa imikhiqizo kagwayi ye-e-flavour ephula imithetho kahulumeni.

Lesi sinyathelo siyingxenye yomzamo obanzi wokubhekana nokukhathazeka okukhulayo mayelana nokudayiswa kwemikhiqizo ekhiqiza ama-vaping engekho emthethweni, ikakhulukazi leyo ekhangiselwa abantu abasha. Le mikhiqizo ye-e-cigarette enongiwe kuthiwa iheha izingane, iphakamisa ukukhathazeka ngezingozi zezempilo ezingaba khona ezihlobene nokusetshenziswa kwayo.

U-Attorney General u-Yost uthe ukudayiswa kwale mikhiqizo ye-vaping engekho emthethweni akwephuli umthetho wezwe kuphela kodwa futhi kubangela usongo olukhulu empilweni yomphakathi. Lo mkhankaso uhlose ukuthumela umlayezo oqinile emabhizinisini athengisa imikhiqizo ye-vaping ngokungemthetho kanye nokuvikela abathengi, ikakhulukazi abantu abasha, ezingozini ezingaba khona zokusebenzisa le mikhiqizo.

Isikhalo esifakwe yiHhovisi Lommeli Jikelele sisola ukuthi lawa mabhizinisi amathathu aphule uMthetho Wokudayisa Kwabathengi base-Ohio ngokuthengisa imikhiqizo ehambisa umoya engahambisani nemithetho kahulumeni. Amabhizinisi asolwa ngokuthengisa imikhiqizo kagwayi ye-e enongiwe ekhanga izingane, ephula imingcele yombuso ekuthengisweni kwaleyo mikhiqizo.

Ukugawulwa kwemikhiqizo yokushunqisa ngokungemthetho kuyingxenye yomzamo kazwelonke wokubhekana nokwanda kwezifo ezihambisana nokukhipha umphunga nokukhathazeka ngomthelela wazo empilweni yomphakathi. Ukusetshenziswa kwemikhiqizo ye-e-cigarette kuye kwanda kakhulu eminyakeni yamuva, ikakhulukazi phakathi kwentsha, okuholela enkingeni yezempilo yomphakathi ekhulayo.

Ukuthengiswa kwemikhiqizo ye-e-cigarette ene-flavour bekugxilwe kakhulu ngoba le mikhiqizo ivamise ukumakethwa ngendlela yokukhanga abathengi abancane. Ukusetshenziswa kwezinongo ezifana nezithelo, uswidi nama-dessert kwethuse izikhulu zezempilo, ezikhathazeka ngokuthi imikhiqizo ingase ibangele ukwanda kwe-vaping yentsha.

Ekuphenduleni lokhu kukhathazeka, i-Ohio isebenzise imithetho eqinile ekuthengisweni kwemikhiqizo kagwayi we-e enongiwe, okuhlanganisa nemikhawulo yokumaketha nokudayiswa kwale mikhiqizo kwabancane. Ukuqiniswa kwamabhizinisi amathathu asolwa ngokudayisa imikhiqizo yokukhipha umusi ngokungemthetho kuyingxenye yemizamo kahulumeni yokuphoqelela le mithetho kanye nokuvikela impilo yomphakathi.

Elinye lamabhizinisi ebekuhloswe ngalo ukubhidlizwa yisitolo saseWayne County okusolakala ukuthi besidayisa imikhiqizo yevaping enambitheka engahambisani nemithetho kahulumeni. Izinsolo zokwephulwa kwalesi sitolo zenze ihhovisi lommeli omkhulu lithathe izinyathelo ezisheshayo, ezikhombisa ukuzibophezela kombuso ekuthweseni amabhizinisi icala ngokudayisa ngokungemthetho imikhiqizo ekhiqiza umphunga.

Ukugawulwa kwemikhiqizo yokukhishwa kwemfucuza engekho emthethweni nakho kuhambisana nemizamo kazwelonke yokulwa nokwanda kwezifo ezihlobene ne-vaping. Amacala okulimala kwamaphaphu ahlobene ne-vaping kanye nezinye izinkinga zezempilo andile eminyakeni yamuva nje, aphakamisa ukukhathazeka okusabalele mayelana nokuphepha kwemikhiqizo yokufutha.

Ukuthengisa imikhiqizo ye-vaping engekho emthethweni akuphuli umthetho wezwe kuphela kodwa futhi kubangela ingozi enkulu empilweni yomphakathi. Ukusetshenziswa kwemikhiqizo ye-vaping engalawulwa, ikakhulukazi leyo ekhangiselwa abantu abasha, kuphakamisa ukukhathazeka okukhulu ngezingozi zezempilo ezingaba khona ezihlobene ne-vaping.

Uma kubhekwa lokhu kukhathazeka, ukunqanda ukudayiswa kwemikhiqizo yokukhipha umusi okungekho emthethweni kuyisinyathelo esibalulekile sokuvikela abathengi ezingozini ezingaba khona zokusebenzisa le mikhiqizo. Ngokubeka izinkampani icala ngokwephula imithetho yezwe, Ihhovisi Lommeli Jikelele lithumela umlayezo ocacile: Ukuthengiswa okungekho emthethweni kwemikhiqizo eshisayo ngeke kubekezelelwe.

Izikhalo ezibhekiswe kumabhizinisi amathathu asolwa ngokudayisa imikhiqizo yokukhishwa kwemfucuza engekho emthethweni zigqamisa ukuzibophezela kombuso ekuphoqeleleni imithetho nokuvikela impilo yomphakathi. Ukubhidliza kuyisexwayiso kumabhizinisi athengisa imikhiqizo ekhiqiza umphunga ngokungemthetho futhi kuthumela umyalezo oqinile wokuthi ukuziphatha okunjalo kuzohlangatshezwana nesinyathelo esisheshayo nesiwujuqu.

Kafushane, ukunqanda ukudayiswa kwemikhiqizo kagwayi engekho emthethweni, okuhlanganisa nemikhiqizo kagwayi enothosiwe, kuyisinyathelo esibalulekile ekubhekaneni nenkinga yezempilo yomphakathi ekhulayo ehlobene ne-e-cigarettes. Izikhalazo ezifakwe iHhovisi Lommeli Omkhulu wase-Ohio ngokumelene namabhizinisi amathathu okuhlanganisa nesitolo saseWayne County zibonisa ukuzibophezela kombuso ekuphoqeleleni imithetho kanye nokuvikela abathengi ezingozini ezingaba khona zokusebenzisa imikhiqizo yokukhipha umusi engekho emthethweni. Njengoba umbuso uqhubeka nokubhekana nokwenyuka kwezifo ezihambisana nomhwamuko kanye nokukhathazeka ngomthelela wezempilo womphakathi we-vaping, ukwehliswa kwemikhiqizo yokukhipha umphunga engekho emthethweni kuyisinyathelo esibalulekile sokuvikela inhlalakahle yezakhamuzi zase-Ohio.