Free webinar Nov. 28 on why Ky. cities and counties can’t pass local laws around the distribution, sale and regulation of tobacco

The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky is offering a free webinar about how state laws prevent local governments from passing tobacco-control ordinances and other health policies in Kentucky.

The laws “pre-empt” local regulations on distribution, sale and regulation of tobacco products, so if a city or county in Kentucky wants to pass an ordinance to raise the legal age to purchase tobacco products, or ban tobacco flavors in electronic cigarettes that appeal to youth, they can’t.

Presenters in the webinar will share their experiences with teh issue and discuss advocacy strategies for countering and repealing pre-emption laws.

They include Tonya Chang, vice president for advocacy with the American Heart Association Great Rivers Affiliate; Ellen J. Hahn, professor, University of Kentucky Colleges of Nursing and Public Health; Traci Kennedy, consultant to Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights; and Mark Pertschuk, director of Grassroots Change: Connecting for Better Health.

The free one-hour webinar is part of the foundation’s Health for a Change training series. It will be held Wednesday, Nov. 28 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Click here to register.