Effort to ban flavored tobacco products in WA

WA effort to ban flavored tobacco products

Previously thought to be dead for the year, lawmakers heard legislation Monday that would ban flavored vapes and cigarettes.

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Efforts to ban flavored tobacco products in Washington got a breath of life, as a bill to do so got a committee hearing Monday after the effort was previously assumed dead.

House Bill 2068 would ban the sale of flavored tobacco products like vapes and menthol cigarettes starting in July 2027 – with the exception of flavored shisha, which is used in hookah.

"These products don’t contribute to the social wellbeing of our communities," prime sponsor Rep. Kristine Reeves, D-Federal Way, told the House Finance Committee on Monday. "They definitely don’t contribute to the health and wellbeing of our children. And I would love for you to join me in helping find a path forward to make sure that the next generation is not getting hooked on tobacco."

Reeves pushed similar restrictions in another bill this session which failed to move forward.

However, the new proposal goes a step further and increases taxes and fees around manufacturing, selling and buying tobacco products, with revenues going toward cancer research, tobacco use prevention and general operating funds. One of those increases is in the tax on a pack of cigarettes, going up by $2 under the bill and is adjusted to inflation every three years.

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WA House Finance Committee

The increased taxes backfills lost revenues from flavored products being off the market, Reeves said, while also funding efforts to get people away from the dangers of tobacco products, especially youth vaping.

"The intent is really to ensure that we are getting at consumer education," she said. "That we’re focusing on how we address youth prevention and adult cessation. And that we hopefully address some of the enforcement needs of the liquor and cannabis board to be able to address this uptick."

A handful of high school students testified in support of the legislation Monday. They told lawmakers that teens are targeted by vapes’ fruity flavors, contests and other marketing ploys, with the resulting addiction getting in the way of kids learning, playing and living healthy lives.

"Flavored tobacco pulls teens in," said Jayce Hartman, a senior at Tacoma’s Silas High School. "It smells like candy, looks like candy, and it feels harmless, but it’s not. And I've seen students at my school – classmates, friends – get hooked before they even realize what’s happening."

Opponents to the bill argued flavored vape products are a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes and adults should have unrestricted access to them. They also point to federal data showing a decline in youth use of tobacco in recent years, with store clerks being responsible in keeping products away from kids.

"We are the first line of defense, and our efforts are working," testified Yujin Ghim with the Korean American Grocers Association of Washington. "The current system of licensed retailers, strong minimum age laws and government oversight is working."

Retail groups also argued the ban would cause a drop in revenue for businesses and force some to close their doors. They believe a ban would push the tobacco market underground and potentially cause more harm.

"Increasing taxes doesn’t necessarily limit or reduce people who are trying to access tobacco, or encourage cessation," said Crystal Leatherman with the Washington Retail Association. "Instead, it actually just forces them to purchase from an unregulated or illicit market."

Lawmakers face a deadline on Tuesday to move legislation forward, but a spokesperson for the House Finance Committee chair said generally bills that include taxes are not subject to that cutoff.

The Source: Information in this story is from Albert James, a television reporter covering state government as part of the Murrow News Fellowship program – a collaborative effort between news outlets statewide and Washington State University.