Category: Flavors

County in Oregon Suing to Undue Flavored Vape Ban

Multnomah County in the U.S. state of Oregon in December passed a law banning the sale of flavored tobacco products. Opponents of the ordinance filed a lawsuit in county circuit court Jan. 26, seeking to block the ban.
The plaintiffs, 21+ Tobacco and Vapor Retail Association of Oregon and a smoke shop called Division Vapor, argue that state law “specifically authorizes the licensed sale of tobacco products and inhalant delivery systems statewide” and that Multnomah County lacks the authority to ban the sale of flavored products used for vaping and in hookahs, according to Willamette Week.
The ban is scheduled to go into effect in January 2024.
“Plaintiff Division Vapor requires that anyone entering its store be at least 21 years old and has signs posted at the entrance stating this requirement,” the lawsuit says. “Division Vapor vigorously enforces its restrictions prohibiting entry of underaged individuals.”
The lawsuit follows an earlier effort by tobacco sellers in Washington County to overturn a ban passed by the board of commissioners there. In that case, a Washington County circuit judge ruled the county didn’t have the authority to issue such a ban. Multnomah County officials say that ruling has no bearing on their ban.
Lawmakers in Oregon recently introduced a new bill that would end the sale of flavored vaping and other tobacco products across the state.
January 28, 2023
Oregon Lawmakers Introduce Vape Flavor Ban Bill

Credit: David Kruger
Lawmakers in Oregon introduced a new bill that would end the sale of flavored vaping and other tobacco products across the state.
House Bill 3090 aims to end the sale of menthol cigarettes and all other flavored tobacco products. This includes hookah, e-cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco, reports KATU.
“We have been setting ourselves up for success through the legislature for the last seven years, to get to the point now where we can finally have a huge impact on reducing the pipeline of new customers,” said Jamie Dunphy, the Oregon director of government relations for the American Cancer Society.
Dunphy said the bill is the next step in reducing the number of people who vape.
Washington County, Oregon’s flavored vaping and tobacco ban was struck down by a judge who stated that counties in Oregon do not have the authority to enact such measures and that they must come from the state legislature.
January 22, 2023
New Mexico Lawmakers to Consider Flavor Ban

New Mexico State Capitol at dusk (Credit: Ball Studios)
A New Mexico lawmaker is proposing a ban on all flavored vaping and other tobacco products. The bill would stop the sale of any vaping or other tobacco product that has any flavoring added. The representative behind this bill says the main goal is to stop kids from getting hooked on nicotine.
“Most of my sales are all flavored stuff. There’s far few and in between that will come and be like ‘I just want nothing flavored,’” says Sabrina Garley, manager of Biroska SmokeShop, a vape vendor in New Mexico, according to KRQE.
Local smoke shops around Albuquerque say they fear a bill banning these flavored tobacco products like e-cigarettes and vapes will hurt their business. “I thought, ‘we’re going down.’ Definitely, definitely one of our biggest sellers. We’d have to figure out something else to replace that,” Garley says.
House Bill 94 is sponsored by Las Cruces State Representative Joanne Ferrary. “House Bill 94 will prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products and it will define the terms and make sure that we aren’t losing a new generation of kids to nicotine,” Ferrary says, “By removing the flavored tobacco products from the market, it will keep kids from gravitating towards any of the flavors on the market.”
January 19, 2023
New York Governor Calls for Statewide Flavor Ban

Credit: New York Governor Kathy Hochul
Gov. Kathy Hochul delivered her State of the State address and wasted no time in setting her sights on heat-not-burn and other flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes. The state already prohibits the sale of flavored vaping products.
New York’s new full-term governor outlined some tobacco policy changes she would like enacted, including both a ban on the sale of all flavored tobacco products and a $1 per pack increase in combustible cigarette taxes from $4.35 to $5.35.
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, one of the most prominent anti-tobacco groups in the world, which is supported by former New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, praised Hochul’s plans. Any changes to New York tobacco laws would first need to be passed by the state’s legislature.
“These actions are projected to reduce the number of young people smoking cigarettes by 9 percent, prevent 22,000 youths from becoming adult smokers and prevent premature deaths caused by smoking,” Hochul’s office wrote in the State of the State booklet.
California and Massachusetts are the only states with bans on the sale of flavored tobacco products,
January 12, 2023
Two Tobacco Firms Allowed to Sue for EU Flavor Ban

The Four Courts Building on the river Liffey in Dublin, Ireland (Credit: Nigel)
Two manufacturers of next-generation tobacco products have been granted permission by Ireland’s High Court to bring a challenge over a new EU directive banning flavored heated tobacco products.
Ireland is set to transpose the new EU law by next July. But the country’s oldest tobacco manufacturer, PJ Carroll and Co., along with BAT-owned next-generation nicotine firm, Nicoventures Trading, claim the EU directive is invalid. Their challenge is against the Minister for Health, Ireland and the Attorney General.
Under previous regulations, flavored heated tobacco products were not banned, but this was changed by the EU Commission which wants member states to transpose the ban by July 23rd, according to Breaking News Ireland.
In 2021, PJ Carroll, which currently holds 10 percent of the Irish market for e-cigarettes, says it began taking steps to commercialize heated tobacco products in Ireland, including flavored ones.
However, the company says, the banning of these products by the EU severely undermined its “ability to capitalize fully on the unique opportunity of being the first company to launch heated tobacco products on the Irish market for adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke.”
January 12, 2023
Ohio Governor Aims to Ban Vape Flavors Statewide
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine
The governor of the U.S. state of Ohio has called for a statewide ban on the sale of flavored nicotine products. The announcement came when Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a bill that would have barred local governments from making any tobacco rules more harsh than state regulations.
“I’m just looking at this from a logical point of view,” DeWine said. “I listen to my friends who have businesses. I understand their desire to get uniformity…I just think the easiest way to do this is to have a statewide ban.”
The provision he vetoed was a legislative response to a ban recently approved by the city of Columbus. The governor announced his decision during a press conference held with his state health director, Bruce Vanderhoff, to specifically talk about the dangers of youth use of flavored tobacco products, according to The Blade.
“We have an epidemic,” DeWine said. “We are seeing more and more of young people starting to vape at a younger and younger age. This has been going on long enough now that we know that many of them then transition over to tobacco, and we know the long-term consequences of that.”
January 9, 2023
Bill to Ban Flavors Statewide Introduced in Maine
Maine State House (Credit: Jovannig)
A bill has been submitted in the legislature of the U.S. state of Maine that would ban flavored vaping and other tobacco products in the state if passed.
Maine State Senator Jill Duson filed the bill on Friday. Maine has served as a centerpiece for bans on the sale of flavored tobacco recently, as three of the state’s four most populated cities have passed their own bans.
Most recently, South Portland passed legislation banning the sale of flavored tobacco products.
The owner of Portland Smoke and Vape South Portland says there has been overwhelming support from the vape community who have signed a petition against the ban.
South Portland joins Portland, Brunswick, and Bangor as communities where flavored tobacco products are no longer sold.
The Maine State Legislature has already begun its session, but the bill has not yet been assigned to a committee, according to media reports.
January 2, 2023
Flavored Vaping Ban to be Proposed in Scotland
Legislatures in Scotland are proposing to ban flavored vaping products to “protect the health of children and young people”.
The Scottish Greens are set to propose plans to ban sweet-tasting vapes in 2023, with campaigners warning it is a “ticking time bomb” for young people’s health, according to media reports.
The party’s health spokesperson, Gillian Mackay, said she is also prepared to pursue legislation to ensure the health of those most likely to be impacted is preserved.
She said there is growing concern that the number of under-age people being attracted by “deliberately sweet-toothed tactics” used to market the products is spiraling.
Mackay also wants to ban the public display of e-cigarettes in retail shops. She said she wants retailers to treat them in the same way as cigarettes and hide them from view.
December 27, 2022
BAT Brings Flavor Ban Fight Against EU to Irish Court
Credit: Promesa Art Studio
One of the largest tobacco companies in the world has initiated High Court proceedings against the health minister and attorney-general in Ireland.
BAT, the owner of the Irish business PJ Carroll, is seeking to bring a judicial review against a decision by the European Union to ban flavored heated tobacco products (HTPs).
The ban, first proposed by the European Commission in June, took effect last month. The case is being taken by PJ Carroll and Nicoventures, another BAT subsidiary that produces next-generation tobacco products, according to The Times.
The European Union on Nov. 3 published the directive officially banning flavors in heated tobacco product throughout the Union.
The publication followed the end of the scrutiny period on Oct. 29, during which neither the European Council nor the European Parliament raised objections to the ban.
December 25, 2022
California’s Flavored Tobacco Ban Begins Today

Credit: 4kClips
California’s controversial ban on flavored tobacco begins today. A week ago, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company’s contention that the new state law conflicted with federal law.
Flavored tobacco products such as e-cigarettes, menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars and more can no longer be sold in stores.
“If they wanted to ban flavored tobacco or regulate it, I feel they should have selected certain stores to be authorized to retail it. It’s saved so many lives, helped so many people get off cigarettes,” said Carlo Sharmoug, owner of Ziggy’s Smoke Shop at the corner of West Lane and Alpine Avenue in Stockton, speaking with ABC10.
Sharmoug says in his 14 years in business, his store has never once sold tobacco to a minor.
Freitas says California’s tobacco rates among teens at one point began to decline until e-cigarettes appeared.

“They started being sold in flavors like grape and cherry and gummy bear. And all of a sudden, we saw our youth tobacco rates increasing again,” said Freitas.
Smoke shops like Ziggy’s say California will lose out on millions in tax revenue and believes product will be sold on the black market. However, Frietas disagrees, saying the savings in medical treatment in California alone will be huge.
December 21, 2022