April 5, 2021 Group Watch: House Passes Bill to Curb Teen Vaping & Regulate Industry
The Alabama House of Representatives passed a bill designed to reduce the use of vapes and e-cigarettes among young people. The bill provides for numerous regulations of the vaping and e-cigarette industry in Alabama. It would prevent vape manufacturers and retailers from using advertising techniques designed to appeal to young people, such as incorporating characters from comic books in ad campaigns. It would also prevent makers of vape pods and cartridges from claiming the taste of their product resembled “candies, cakes, or other sugary treats.” The bill would require the Alabama Department of Revenue to build and maintain a directory of businesses that sell and manufacture vape cartridges, e-liquids and any alternative nicotine product in Alabama. It would require the relevant businesses to pay for certification in the directory. Each business entity that deals with vaping would have to pay the state an initial $3,000 certification fee, and each subsequent year would have to pay a $500 renewal for continued certification. Funds from the fees would go to implementing and maintaining the directory.
