Leaders from about a dozen houses of worship voted Friday to support an 86% tax on e-cigarettes during a St. George Interfaith Council meeting.

They also agreed to sign a letter addressed to local legislators, expressing concern over vaping and asking that the tax increase go into effect.

At least two leaders abstained from the vote and from signing the letter.

The tax is proposed in SB37, currently under consideration by the Utah State Legislature, and is sponsored by Senator Allen M. Christensen.

Kye Nordfeldt, a representative from the Southwest Utah Health Public Health Department, spoke to the St. George Interfaith Council about teen usage of e-cigarettes. According to data compiled by Southwest Utah Health and distributed by Nordfeldt at the meeting, nearly one in seven 16 to 17-year-olds in Utah vape regularly; one in four Utah youth in grades eight, 10 and 12 have tried vaping; and one in three Utah high school seniors have tried vaping.

Additionally, since 2011, vaping among Utah youth has increased by 553%, and Utah youth who vape are 50 times more likely to smoke combustible cigarettes than those who don't.

Up in smoke:Tobacco law changes could affect vaping in Southern Utah

However, even a 10% tax on e-cigarettes leads to 3-7% decreased in youth usage, according to the distributed information.

Additionally, the best tax rate would be 86% because this would ensure that e-cigarettes are treated like all other tobacco products. This, in turn, would prevent the largest amount of future Utah workers from addiction.

Tim Martin, secretary for the St. George Interfaith Council, said vaping is a "big problem" in the community and the country.

"So how appropriate that the Interfaith Council would represent the religious side of our community to say 'We agree that we need to do what we can to stop this,'" he said.

Laura Fairchild of the Baha'i faith, however, said she abstained from the vote not because she personally opposes the tax, but because she felt she shouldn't speak for the entire local Baha'i community.

"Baha'is do not involve themselves in political affairs," she said. "Individuals can. But here, as a representative of the Baha'i faith... it's not for me to do. Ba'hais are about our hearts, not about politics."

However, she said there are several youths in her congregation, and she "made note" to have a conversation with them about vaping.

Russell Cashin, co-founder of the Free Spirit Community in St. George, also abstained from the vote. He said he's "on board with the general notion" of reducing vaping among teens and even adults, but wants to read the Interfaith Council's letter more closely before signing.

He's also an advocate for cannabis use, which is sometimes consumed via e-cigarettes.

However, he clarified that he's not a proponent of nicotine, and if someone wants to use cannabis via e-cigarette, they should be careful to use products containing only cannabis, he said.

Raising minimum age for tobacco products

The Spectrum previously reported that in a swift decision in late December, President Donald Trump signed legislation to immediately raise the minimum age that retailers could sell tobacco products from 18 to 21 years old.

Story continues below gallery.

Attached to two spending bills that also grant paid parental leave for federal employees and allow funding for the new Space Force branch of the military, the legislation — passed on Dec. 20, 2019 — prohibits tobacco sales to anyone under 21.

The bill also raises the age for people buying electronic cigarettes and vape products to 21 as well.

As of Dec. 4, 2019, just over two weeks before Trump signed the new laws into effect, Utah was one of nineteen states that had raised the tobacco age of sale to 21 years old, according to Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Earlier, on March 13, 2019, the Utah Legislature voted 15-12 in the senate and 55-16 in the House to pass HB324, a law that will incrementally raise the age of all tobacco sales, including electronic cigarettes, to 21 years of age.

The bill was designated to change the age from 19 to 20 on July 1, 2020 and from 20 to age 21 on July 1, 2021.

It was created to raise the age for "obtaining, possessing, using, providing, or furnishing of tobacco products, paraphernalia, and under certain circumstances, electronic cigarettes."

The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, said at the time that, "I think we all know the danger of tobacco. I think we know that developing brains are unfairly trapped in this industry."

Additionally, the Utah Department of Health made an emergency ruling that banned general tobacco retailers from selling flavored e-cigarettes on Oct. 3, 2019.

They are allowed to sell non-flavored e-cigarettes, but that limits flavors down to menthol or plain tobacco flavors for tobacco retailers.

The UDOH ruling requires vape shops across the state to post signs about the age restrictions and warning about the dangers of vaping unregulated products.

Kaitlyn Bancroft reports on faith, health, education, crime and under-served communities for The Spectrum & Daily News, a USA TODAY Network newsroom in St. George, Utah. You can reach her at KBancroft@thespectrum.com, or follow her on Twitter @katbancroft.