Letters to the editor for Friday, April 25, 2014

Bundy ranch incident merits an investigation

Dear Governor, U.S. senators and congressmen, state senators and assemblymen,

Please launch a full investigation of the Bundy Ranch incident. The spectacle provoked by the BLM was appalling and very dangerous. If the Bundy family owes money, and if there is a judgement against them, it is the job of the county sheriff to enforce it. If there is an issue with endangered species or repurposing the land from grazing to oil exploration or solar farms, again it is not up to the BLM to act as the armed force of whoever claims authority to impose their will.

Kudos to the sheriff, but there are too many incomplete or conflicting stories and allegations being published, and they all raise serious questions which can be answered only by a full investigation. The executive, Congress and the legislature all have the necessary oversight authority.

However, this incident is just the latest of many that reveal a long festering problem — most Nevada land is controlled by federal agencies, not Nevada. The people have long suffered from federal abuse of power. The Constitution requires relinquishing federally controlled lands to the state. Please act accordingly, ASAP.

Peter Hennessey

Carson City

State should ban sales of e-cigarettes to children

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the popularity of electronic cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, are battery-operated products designed to deliver nicotine, flavor, and other chemicals which are vaporized into an aerosol that is inhaled by the user.

E-cigarette use is growing rapidly, particularly among teenagers. Between 2010 and 2011, the number of U.S. adults who had tried e-cigarettes doubled. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study issued in September 2013 found that in just one year, from 2011 to 2012, the percentage of high school students who had used e-cigarettes more than doubled from 4.7 percent to 10 percent. More than 20 percent of the middle school students who reported using e-cigarettes said they had never tried traditional cigarettes.

Sales data support public health evidence illustrating the growing popularity of e-cigarettes, with sales doubling every year since 2010 and projected to reach $2 billion in 2013. In spite of the growing consumption of e-cigarettes and the fact that there has been limited research on their health effects, e-cigarettes are currently unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Unlike traditional tobacco products, e-cigarettes are not subject to federal age verification laws and can be legally sold to children unless state or local laws bar their sale to minors. Presently, 28 states prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. It is time for Nevada to protect our children and do the same thing.

Holly Lenz

Carson City