Tag: Oklahoma

  • October 1 Begins New Strict Oklahoma Vaping Laws

    October 1 Begins New Strict Oklahoma Vaping Laws

    Credit: Nasibli

    Vaping product sales in Oklahoma are set to get more complicated. On Oct. 1, the state will publish a list of vaping products allowed for sale within its borders.

    Oklahoma’s new rules prohibit sales of products that have not received a marketing granted order (MGO) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administartion or are still under review in the regulatory agency’s premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) process.

    Vaping product manufacturers were required to submit documentation by July 1 to the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission that attested under penalty of perjury that the products listed were available for sale before Aug. 1, 2016 (the effective date of the FDA’s Deeming Rule), and that a PMTA had been submitted for each product on or before the agency’s Sept. 9, 2020 PMTA submission deadline.

    The bill creating the Oklahoma law passed the state legislature in 2021, but vaping advocates were able last year to get implementation postponed until 2023. Attempts this year to repeal the law or delay it again until 2024 were unsuccessful.

    The law will make vape shop owners criminals if they are found to be selling bottled e-liquid or disposable vaping products not named on Oklahoma’s list. Giving false information about the authorization status of any product submitted to the list is also a crime.

    Manufacturers are required to notify the state of Oklahoma within 30 days of a change to the product’s authorization status with the FDA.

  • Oklahoma Reinstates Fines for Youth Buying Vapes

    Oklahoma Reinstates Fines for Youth Buying Vapes

    Credit: Ball Studios

    The governor of Oklahoma signed a bill last year that removed fines for those under the age of 21 years old caught illegally purchasing or possessing vaping and other products. Earlier this week, Stitt signed a new law reinstating those fines.

    On Monday, Stitt signed H.B. 2165 into law, which reintroduces fines for those under 21 years old caught possessing, purchasing, trying to purchase or using fraudulent identification to try to buy vaping and other tobacco products, reports Charlie Minato of Halfwheel.

    Anyone caught violating the law must attend a tobacco cessation program and could be required to complete community service. If they do not, they could be fined up to $50 for the first offense and $100 for any subsequent offense.

    In addition to restoring fines as a form of punishment, H.B. 2165 would also restore the ability of local cities and municipalities to issue their own penalties, something that was removed last year.

    In 2020, Stitt signed a bill to raise the minimum age to purchase vapor, e-cigarettes and other tobacco products to 21 years old.

    The new law goes into effect on Nov. 1, 2023.

  • Oklahoma Raises Purchase Age to 21 for Vapor Products

    Oklahoma Raises Purchase Age to 21 for Vapor Products

    Credit: Gerson Repreza

    The governor of Oklahoma has signed a bill to raise the minimum age to purchase vapor, e-cigarettes and other tobacco products to 21 years old. Gov. Kevin Stitt signed it into law on Tuesday morning.

    Because the bill contains an emergency clause, the increase went into effect immediately. The bill, S.B. 1423, was approved by the Senate 28-19 in early March, while the House approved it by a 79-20 vote on May 12.

    Oklahoma’s laws now match that of the federal government, an increase that came on Dec. 21, 2019. However, due to enforcement largely happening at the local level, many states, counties and cities have had to pass bills or ordinances to change laws to better reflect the 21-year-old minimum.

    Additionally, states are passing their own increases as it will allow them to remain eligible for $6.4 million in federal funds that go to the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Law Enforcement Commission, according to a story on Halfwheel.

    FDA has stated that it is not yet enforcing the 21-years-old standard through its compliance checks program.