- Legislation passed in the Kentucky House aims to curb the illegal sale of electronic cigarettes to teens and prevent unauthorized vaping products from being sold in stores.
- Businesses in Kentucky would need to declare involvement in tobacco product sales, with information forwarded to the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
- The number of different electronic cigarette devices sold in the U.S. has skyrocketed, driven almost entirely by a wave of unauthorized disposable vapes from China.
Legislation aimed at cracking down on the illegal sale of electronic cigarettes to young people and keeping unauthorized vaping products out of stores won passage in the Kentucky House on Monday.
Republican state Rep. Rebecca Raymer, the bill’s lead sponsor, said it’s a response to the state’s “vaping epidemic” and, in particular, complaints about how rampant vaping has become in schools.
“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 said in a statement after the bill’s passage.
OVER 2.5M AMERICAN TEENS VAPED IN 2022, OFFICIALS SAY
The measure cleared the House on a 62-26 vote and heads to the Senate next. Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers.
Elf Bar disposable vaping pod devices are seen in Washington. Legislation aimed at cracking down on the illegal sale of electronic cigarettes to young people and keeping unauthorized vaping products out of stores won passage in the Kentucky House on March 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
The bill would require Kentucky businesses to acknowledge whether they’re involved in the retail sale of tobacco products when filing business paperwork with the Secretary of State’s office. That list would be sent to the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which regulates tobacco and vape sales.
The minimum legal age to buy smoking products is 21 in…
