Bipartisan E-Cig Bill Would Ban Flavors, Add Taxes
The measure would restrict and tax electronic cigarettes for the first time at the federal level.
Sep 20, 2019 | 2 min read
WASHINGTON—Yesterday, Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Pete King (R-NY) introduced a proposal to ban flavored e-cigarettes and tax the products for the first time at the national level, Politico reports. The proposed tax would be the equivalent of $3 per pack of cigarettes, while tripling the federal taxes on traditional cigarettes to reach $3 per pack, as well.
“I’ve been increasingly concerned by the number of teenagers who use and are becoming addicted to e-cigarettes,” Rep. Suozzi said in a statement. “I’ve become even more disturbed in recent weeks since we’ve learned that hundreds of people have contracted a mysterious vaping-related lung disease that has killed at least seven people.”
In the Senate, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) have a similar bill to ban flavored vaping products and tax e-cigs. Already, 19 states and the District of Columbia have added taxes on e-cigarettes. This week, California announced it will launch a public awareness campaign about the dangers of vaping. Michigan and New York recently banned vaping flavors.
Last week, the Trump Administration announced that the Food and Drug Administration will finalize a compliance policy in the coming weeks aimed at clearing the marketplace of unauthorized, non-tobacco-flavored e-cigarette products, including mint-, menthol- and fruit-flavored vape products.
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