The Assembly on Friday passed SB225 adding electronic cigarettes, vapor products and other alternative nicotine delivery systems to the laws regulating the sale and advertising of tobacco products.
Stores would be barred from selling those products to anyone under age 18 and sellers would be required to display certain information on those products and retailers would be limited in how they can display and advertise those products. The attorney general would also be required to conduct inspections of sellers of vapor products. Vapor products have become popular with people trying to quit smoking.
But opponents have argued that all the candy-cane flavors and other types of vapor oils make those products attractive to young people and could actually increase the chances of more people becoming addicted to nicotine.
They also point out there are no rules for what chemicals are in those products and there have been no studies on the long term health effects of those oils and other products.
The vote was 41-0. The bill goes to the Governor for his signature.