Responding to constituent emails on your laptop can be a distraction during committee hearings.

But certain issues do catch your attention.

As when a Department of Health official testifies, “We are battling with vaping these days.”

Vaping is smoking electronic cigarettes.

There is a great deal of evidence that this is now the entry point of choice for many youth.

Preventing teenagers (and younger kids) from picking up the deadly habit of smoking cigarettes is one of the priorities of the state’s Cigarette Restitution Fund.

The Fund allocates the money Maryland receives from its share of the settlement from the lawsuit 48 states brought against the tobacco industry. Delegate Pete Rawlings and I were the lead sponsors of the bill that created the Fund.

Last year, the General Assembly passed HB 523, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems and Vaping Liquid – Licensing. It became law without the Governor’s signature.

I’m now concentrating on what we should do next.