Tag: flavor ban

  • Vermont Lawmakers Pass Flavor Ban, Moves to Senate

    Vermont Lawmakers Pass Flavor Ban, Moves to Senate

    Credit: Rabbit75_fot

    Vermont lawmakers Friday approved a ban on flavored vaping and other flavored tobacco products.

    S.18 would end retail sales of all flavored e-cigarettes, e-liquids, and oral nicotine pouches. The bill would also end the sale of all menthol-flavored tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, and smokeless tobacco, by January 1st, 2026.

    The legislation, which has been debated for at least six years, faced a fierce lobbying campaign from retailers who said it would put many out of business. Some lawmakers have also balked at the loss of millions in tax revenue, according to media reports.

    But supporters say the adverse health impacts on young people who get hooked on the products are just too great. Lawmakers spoke on the House floor Thursday about the extensive testimony from medical professionals, educators, parents, and members of the BIPOC community in support of the bill.

    The bill will now return to the Senate, which passed a different version of the bill last year. The governor has not yet indicated if he will sign it.

  • Louisiana to Begin Enforcing Vaping Bans Monday

    Louisiana to Begin Enforcing Vaping Bans Monday

    Credit: Gustavo Frazao

    The Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC) announced that it will resume enforcing state laws affecting the marketing and sale of vaping and e-cigarette products on March 18, 2024.

    Beginning that day, all vapes not authorized or under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cannot be legally sold in Louisiana. The ATC will provide the V.A.P.E. Directory on their website, a list of all approved vapor or alternative nicotine products and electronic cigarettes.

    Businesses must remove all products not listed on the directory from their inventory and display.

    The enforcement of this law was put on hold when the Louisiana Convenience Store and Vape Association filed a lawsuit, saying the law was unconstitutional. A judge granted a preliminary injunction in January, temporarily halting the enforcement of the new law.

    After a permanent injunction hearing on Feb. 21, the ATC said the injunction was rendered moot, and that the vape law was now enforceable, according to media reports.

    Initially, the ATC passed a law in June 2023 to triple vape taxes in Louisiana and ban the sale of vapes not authorized by the FDA. The extra revenue was to be allocated to entities like state police. The increase is due to Act 414 HB635, which was signed into law by former Gov. John Bel Edwards.

  • Protestors Want Veto of Florida Flavor Ban, Registry

    Protestors Want Veto of Florida Flavor Ban, Registry

    Credit: Kristina Blokhin

    Supporters of less harmful nicotine products want Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to again veto a proposed ban on the sale of flavored e-cigarettes in Florida. The legislation would also create a vape registry for the state.

    “It would kill our local businesses,” said Gary Eliasov-Hodes, managing partner of Cloud Smoke Shop, which has two locations in Tallahassee.

    Seventy percent of his business revenue comes from selling flavored nicotine vaping devices, he said. That’s $3.5 million annually for both of his shops, according to media reports.

    On Thursday, Eliasov-Hodes was among about 200 people gathered outside the governor’s mansion to protest the proposed ban, which they say they want Gov. Ron DeSantis to veto.

    The legislation would prohibit stores from selling flavored e-cigarettes, instead they would be allowed to sell from a list of 23 different tobacco-flavored vaping devices that have been approved for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

    Many states have also included products still currently under review by the regulatory agency.

    The bipartisan bill received pushback from some lawmakers in the House but unanimous support in the Senate before it passed earlier this week. Last year, DeSantis vetoed a similar measure, and opponents say they hope he will do the same this year.

    Proponents of the measure say removing vaping flavors from the market is aimed at keeping e-cigarettes out of the hands of children.

    Lining the sidewalks on each side of W. Brevard Street, protesters chanted “Veto the vape bill” and “No to tobacco,” while holding signs with the words: “We vote, we vape.”

  • State General Assembly Kills Colorado Flavor Ban Bill

    State General Assembly Kills Colorado Flavor Ban Bill

    Credit: Christopher Boswell

    It happened again. For the second time in the last three sessions, a bill to regulate flavored nicotine products has died in Colorado’s General Assembly.

    The proposal would have allowed a board of county commissioners to ban flavored tobacco and nicotine products. The House Business Affairs & Labor Committee defeated it on a 6-5 vote, according to Colorado Public Radio.

    Several lawmakers on the committee voting against the bill cited concerns about its impacts on local businesses, echoing testimony from several vape shop owners who said it would have hurt sales if a county banned flavored vaping and other tobacco products.

    “We have a long history of choosing to listen to the tobacco lobby,” said bill sponsor Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, as she appealed to her colleagues before the vote. “I hope that today we can really think about the children and make sure that we do the right thing to make sure that our children don’t have access to these products that have been targeted for them.”

    The measure had already passed a Senate committee and the full Senate. As has been seen in prior years, the bill drew intense lobbying, with 141 lobbyists from both sides signing up to voice support, opposition, or neutrality, according to the state’s lobbyist disclosure website.

    Tobacco companies like PMI, RJ Reynolds America, and Altria, represented by the lobbying company Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, and industry groups, including the Vapor Technology Association, hired lobbyists in opposition to the legislation.

    All the traditional anti-nicotine groups such as Bloomberg, Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund and Kaiser Permanente also hired lobbyists in support.

    In 2022, a bill to ban flavored tobacco statewide failed after Gov. Jared Polis said the issue should be handled at the local level.

  • Utah Moves Forward With Flavor Ban Legislation

    Utah Moves Forward With Flavor Ban Legislation

    Credit: Christopher Boswell

    After this legislative session, the sale of flavored nicotine products may be banned in Utah.

    SB61, the Electronic Cigarette Amendments, sponsored by Senate Minority Assistant Whip Jen Plumb, forbids the sale of flavored electronic cigarette products and “electronic cigarette products that have not received market authorization from the federal Food and Drug Administration.”

    The Senate voted 20-3 to pass the bill, which now goes to the House for consideration, according to media reports.

    The ban would exclude the flavors of tobacco, mint, and menthol for e-cigarettes.

    States like California, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York have also approved flavor sales bans.

  • Study Finds Vaping may be Altering Some Senses

    Study Finds Vaping may be Altering Some Senses

    Photo: fotofabrika

    Research from the University of Otago shows that a side effect of vaping may be a distaste for “sweet” smells, reports the Otago Daily Times.

    The study had more than 200 participants who vaped regularly, occasionally or never. It aimed to assess potential impacts of vaping on taste and smell.

    The results showed that nonvapers found “sweet” smells more pleasant than vapers, according to Jessica McCormack, researcher from the university’s Department of Food Science.

    The distaste may be a result of vapers’ overexposure to sweet vape flavors, according to McCormack.

    Study participants rated pleasantness and intensity of smell and taste samples and did a sensory detection test where they guessed between plain water and the taste or smell at a very low concentration.

    Results showing a smell dysfunction and taste changes in vapers were consistent with studies looking at smokers, McCormack said.

    “We still have more we need to know about what the mechanisms might be here—is it related to the use of flavors or nicotine or a combination?”

    The study was conducted in collaboration with the National Institute for Health Innovation and published in the journal Appetite.

  • Hallowell is 7th Maine City to Ban Flavored Nicotine

    Hallowell is 7th Maine City to Ban Flavored Nicotine

    Credit: Lukasz Kochanek

    There are now seven cities in the state of Maine that ban flavored nicotine products.

    There is also legislation is due to be taken up in the Maine House for a statewide flavor ban in the coming weeks. The Senate passed it last year.

    Monday night, the Hallowell City Council voted to end the sale of flavored nicotine products in the city.

    The ordinance was passed after a 3-3 tie was resolved by the presiding officer.

    Hallowell is now the seventh community in Maine to ban the products, joining the towns Falmouth, Portland, South Portland, Brunswick, Bangor and Bar Harbor in passing similar bans on selling flavored nicotine products.

    Those who voted against the motion said prohibition isn’t effective and enforcing existing laws regarding underage sales should be a priority.

  • Nebraska Seeks Vape Product List, End Online Sales

    Nebraska Seeks Vape Product List, End Online Sales

    nebraska caitsl
    Credit: Sean Pavone Photo

    The General Affairs Committee in Nebraska heard testimony on a bill that its sponsors say seeks to reduce access to vaping devices by minors in Nebraska.

    LB1296, introduced by Seward Sen. Jana Hughes, would prohibit the sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) products that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved.

    Violations would be considered a deceptive trade practice under the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. The state aims to use the same list that is used by states that have passed similar laws, such as Alabama and Louisiana, according to a release.

    Devices that are pending approval from the FDA would be authorized for sale under the bill, but online sales of ENDS, regardless of FDA approval, would be prohibited.

    “We have a serious problem on our hands that threatens to undermine the progress made over the past 40 years in reducing the use of nicotine products by our kids,” Hughes said.

    LB1296 also would create a directory of ENDS manufacturers who have received or sought FDA approval. Beginning April 1, 2025, each manufacturer must register with the state tax commissioner and pay a $500 initial certification fee per device and $500 annually.

    Payments received would be directed to the state Department of Revenue to reimburse the cost of enforcing the bill’s provisions.

    The committee took no immediate action on LB1296.

    Louisiana’s passed a law that bans retailers from selling vape products not listed on a state-approved registry, known as the V.A.P.E. Directory. Alabama and Florida use the same list.

    To receive authorization, products need a marketing order from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or must meet one of several narrow exceptions, which favor products that have been on the market since at least 2016.

    The state’s Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC) released its list of nearly 400 approved vape products

  • FDA Denies Blu Marketing of 5 Flavored Products

    FDA Denies Blu Marketing of 5 Flavored Products

    Credit: Fontem US

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration continued its de-facto flavor ban and issued marketing denial orders (MDOs) to Fontem US LLC for four Blu disposables and one Myblu brand e-cigarette product.

    The currently marketed products that received an MDO are:

    • Blu Disposable Menthol 2.4%
    • Blu Disposable Vanilla 2.4%
    • Blu Disposable Polar Mint 2.4%
    • Blu Disposable Cherry 2.4%
    • Myblu Menthol 1.2%

    After reviewing the company’s premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs), the regulatory agency determined that the applications lacked sufficient evidence to demonstrate that permitting marketing of the products would be appropriate for the protection of the public health, which is the standard legally required by the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, according to a press note.

    “The application lacked sufficient evidence regarding harmful and potentially harmful ingredients in the aerosol for one product and battery safety for several products,” the release states. “Additionally, the applicant did not present sufficient data demonstrating that the new products have a potential to benefit adult smokers, in terms of complete switching or significant cigarette use reduction, that would outweigh the risk to youth.”

    While the FDA has approved 23 vaping products, none have been a flavored product. Last month, the agency also issued Fontem US, LLC MDOs for its Blu PLUS+ brand e-cigarette products. Fontem is expected to appeal the FDA decision.

  • Vermont Moving Closer to Flavored Nicotine Ban

    Vermont Moving Closer to Flavored Nicotine Ban

    Credit: Belyay

    It’s likely going to become law. The Vermont House Committee on Human Services advanced a bill last week that would ban selling flavored vaping and other tobacco products, but made changes to address disagreements on whether to include menthol cigarettes.

    If passed, the ban would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. However, the ban on menthol cigarettes would be delayed until July 1, 2025, and the Health Equity Advisory Committee would produce a report on whether the ban is discriminatory and present it to the assembly in the 2025 legislative session, according to media reports.

    The bill proposes a ban on selling flavored tobacco products and substitutes, including cigarettes, vapes, cigars, snuff, and chewing tobacco. The bill’s most recent draft defines flavors as any taste or aroma other than that of tobacco, including “fruit, chocolate, vanilla, honey, maple, candy, cocoa, dessert, alcoholic beverage, mint, menthol, wintergreen, herb or spice, or other food or drink.”

    There were disagreements over whether the ban supports people of color, who are disproportionately targeted by the marketing of menthol cigarettes, leading to them being more likely to die of tobacco-related diseases. Or, the ban would discriminate against people of color and the LGBTQ community by banning their preferred cigarettes and other menthol tobacco products.