A proposal would make New Hampshire the first state in the nation to ban adhesive-based rodent traps.

Proponents of House Bill 152 say the traps result in slow, immensely painful deaths caused by starving or dehydration, not just for rodents, but also for other creatures they unintentionally catch. Meanwhile, opponents say the ban would be difficult to enforce, and that the traps, when used appropriately, are important tools in preventing rodents from spreading disease.

The bill, which would prohibit the sale and use of the traps, is backed by five Democratic and two Republican sponsors. A similar measure was raised last year and referred to interim study, where a committee voted in the fall, 8-5, not to recommend it for future legislation.

Rep. Linda Haskins, an Exeter Democrat, told fellow lawmakers on the House Environment and Agriculture Committee in a hearing this month that the traps represent “a 19th-century solution when 21st-century mitigations are available.” She said supporters of the bill believe it’s “inaccurate” that there are not viable alternatives.

“Today, we have evidence that rodents and other animals caught in glue traps face a slow, painful, and extremely drawn-out death until they die of starvation,” Haskins said. “In a panic to escape, they often rip off patches of skin fur and even chew off body parts in a vain attempt to free themselves.”

She pointed to major retailers — such as Target, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Rite Aid, and Walgreens — that have stopped carrying the traps, and countries — including Ireland, England, Scotland, Iceland, and New Zealand — that have outlawed them.

Haskins said the bill would not affect insect control. Several supporters of the bill — including concerned residents and a representative from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals — testified in Concord in favor of the ban, with 295 people logging their support online, compared to 10 in opposition.

But the proposal faced blowback from those within the pest-control industry, the New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation, and from the head of the state’s Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food.

The agency’s commissioner, Shawn Jasper, said the traps have been the only effective method in getting squirrels out of his home.

“I have tried virtually every method that has been talked about; they don’t work on squirrels,” Jasper said. “The biggest problem that we have in many of our buildings — my house, with four big, three big maples now — is squirrels. Generally, they spring the (other) traps without getting caught.”

Tyler Hawkins, a board member of the New England Pest Management Association, said glue traps are important tools used in food facilities, grocery stores, and other places to prevent rodents from spreading disease. Rodents are often root causes in salmonella poisoning and vegetable recalls, he said.