Lawmakers advance vape flavor ban; bill heads to Murphy for signature

State lawmakers have advanced a bill that they say is designed to prevent minors from using electronic cigarettes.

News 12 Staff

Jan 14, 2020, 1:54 AM

Updated 1,558 days ago

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State lawmakers have advanced a bill that they say is designed to prevent minors from using electronic cigarettes.
The bill bans the sale of flavored vaping products and the use of coupons to purchase tobacco and vapor products in New Jersey. The bill was approved by the full state Assembly and state Senate on Monday.
“Our state cannot and will not ignore the widespread use of these harmful nicotine products among adolescents,” said Democratic Assemblyman Herb Conaway, who co-sponsored the bill. “Flavored products are designed to attract young people, which is one of the reasons why most traditional cigarette flavors were banned a decade ago.”
State and federal lawmakers have been making legislation surrounding the e-cigarette industry a priority over the past several months after people started to die from lung-related illness associated with vaping. The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention has said that most of the cases were associated with the use of THC cartridges.
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids says Massachusetts is the only other state with a statewide ban on flavors, though eight states have enacted emergency regulations to halt the sale of flavored vaping products. Even President Donald Trump has considered a federal ban on flavored products.
The bill now heads to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk, where he is expected to sign it into law.
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.


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