KY House passes bill meant to crack down on vape sales to teens

• Legislation handed within the Kentucky House goals to curb the unlawful sale of digital cigarettes to teens and stop unauthorized vaping merchandise from being offered in shops.
• Businesses in Kentucky would wish to declare involvement in tobacco product sales, with info forwarded to the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
• The variety of totally different digital cigarette gadgets offered within the U.S. has skyrocketed, pushed nearly totally by a wave of unauthorized disposable vapes from China.

Legislation aimed toward cracking down on the unlawful sale of digital cigarettes to younger folks and holding unauthorized vaping merchandise out of shops gained passage within the Kentucky House on Monday.

Republican state Rep. Rebecca Raymer, the bill’s lead sponsor, stated it is a response to the state’s “vaping epidemic” and, specifically, complaints about how rampant vaping has change into in colleges.

“As I dove into this subject, I learned that most of what is confiscated is flavored and disposable vapes. Looking further, I found out that many of these vapes are not even authorized for sale,” Raymer stated in an announcement after the bill’s passage.

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The measure cleared the House on a 62-26 vote and heads to the Senate subsequent. Republicans have supermajorities in each chambers.

Elf Bar disposable vaping pod gadgets are seen in Washington. Legislation aimed toward cracking down on the unlawful sale of digital cigarettes to younger folks and holding unauthorized vaping merchandise out of shops gained passage within the Kentucky House on March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

The bill would require Kentucky companies to acknowledge whether or not they’re concerned within the retail sale of tobacco merchandise when submitting enterprise paperwork with the Secretary of State’s workplace. That checklist can be despatched to the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which regulates tobacco and vape sales.

The minimal authorized age to purchase smoking merchandise is 21 in Kentucky. For a primary quotation beneath the bill, retailers would face a high-quality of $100 to $500. The penalty would develop to $1,000 for a second offense and $5,000 for third and subsequent offenses. The bill additionally consists of fines for wholesalers and producers discovered to be concerned within the distribution of unauthorized tobacco merchandise.

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The variety of totally different digital cigarette gadgets offered within the U.S. has skyrocketed since 2020, pushed nearly totally by a wave of unauthorized disposable vapes from China, in accordance to tightly managed sales information obtained by The Associated Press. Federal officers are seizing extra shipments of unauthorized e-cigarettes at U.S. ports, however new flavored merchandise proceed pouring into the nation from China, in accordance to authorities and business information reviewed by the AP.

The numbers exhibit the Food and Drug Administration’s struggles to management the tumultuous vaping market. Most of the disposable e-cigarettes, that are thrown away after they’re used up, are available candy and fruity flavors which have made them the favourite tobacco product amongst youngsters.

The Kentucky laws — House Bill 11 — is meant to hold e-cigarettes, vapes and different tobacco merchandise not licensed by the FDA out of shops within the Bluegrass State.

“The measure balances a Kentucky consumer’s access to FDA-authorized products and our obligation to keep vapes and other e-cigs with dangerous ingredients off our shelves and away from our children,” Raymer stated within the assertion Monday.

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During the House debate, the proposal drew sharp criticism from Republican state Rep. Savannah Maddox, who stated it could ban merchandise utilized by Kentucky adults. She predicted a public backlash towards the bill.

“This is being proposed as something that is designed to reduce harm in minor children, when in reality it will do no such thing,” she stated. “What it will do is harm Kentucky’s businesses.”

She condemned it for instance of presidency overreach.

“Where does it end? I don’t believe it’s the appropriate role of government for us to take on this ‘nanny state façade’ and to ban products of this nature,” Maddox stated.

Raymer replied that the bill is meant to observe the FDA’s regulatory authority.

“I am not a big government type of person,” Raymer stated. “But the fact of the matter is we are not the regulatory authority over these products. The FDA is. That was granted through our duly elected officials through Congress.”