On January 5th, 2024 the bill known as SB 61 (S.B. 61 Electronic Cigarette Amendments) was introduced. On February 13th, 2024 SB 61 Passed the Senate and then shortly after on February 28th it passed the house and one March 20th, 2024 Gov. Cox signed SB 61 into Law.
WHAT IS SB 61?
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To view the bill in its entirety you can go to https://le.utah.gov/~2024/bills/static/SB0061.html but the Highlighted intentions of the bill state are:
- prohibits the sale of electronic cigarette products that have not received market authorization or are pending market authorization from the federal Food and Drug 14 Administration;
- codifies a nicotine limit for electronic cigarette products;
- prohibits the sale of flavored electronic cigarette products; and
- creates a registry for electronic cigarette products.
Or as ABC4 dummies it down “Senate Bill 61 outlaws the sale of flavored e-cigarette cartridges and disposable devices, specifically targeting flavors such as fruit, candy, dessert, alcoholic beverage, spice, or mint.
According to State Sen. Jen Plumb, D-Salt Lake City who is the bill’s sponsor claims this is designed to curb the epidemic of teen vaping. Plumb, a physician, noted that she’s seen the effects of addiction in teenagers first-hand, including seeing young Utahns in the emergency room with nicotine withdrawal.
However I wonder if they’re thinking about all the “Black Market” E-juice that’s going to result from this ban and what the effects of addiction and harm is going to come about when they start seeing young Utahns in the emergency room with nicotine overdose’s and issues. (i.e. remember the black market THC Carts that were going around in Utah in 2019 )
And of course – we don’t want our teens vaping – but for many of us – this is what’s keeping us from SMOKING!
Oh – and what is this going to do with smoking and cigarette use amongst teens? I’m sure Sen. Jem Plumbs intentions are nothing but the best, but history has shown us that BANS don’t work. They merely change the direction of the issue.
According to Beau Maxon, vice president of the Utah Vapor Association The practical effects of the bill is that Utah shop owners will be shut down and customers will be driven to gas stations and convenience stores that mostly sell products manufactured by the massive tobacco companies like Altria, which owns a portion of Juul, and R.J. Reynolds, the maker of the Vuse line of e-cigarettes. Those two brands reportedly control two-thirds of the market.
“This bill is going to put honest business owners out of business. … Retailers will get their cut and Big Tobacco will get their cut,” he said. “This is a monopoly bill for Big Tobacco.”
The vape industry pushed for an alternatives to the bill with suggestions of more enforcement, required video surveillance at stores, better ID Scanners and even extreme proposals such as tracking disposables so they could be tracked back to the store if found in a minors possession, but the proposal failed.
So what’s to become of the honest business owners about to be out of business?
They’ll have no choice but to challenge the law in court over the businesses that will be forced to close, the creation of a monopoly for convenience stores and Big Tobacco products, and potentially other grounds.
“There’s no question about it,” Maxon said. “We will be litigating it.”
HERE'S WHERE WE NEED YOUR HELP.
Utah Vapor Business Association has setup a way for you to voice your opinion and send those opinions to the people who need to hear it. It takes less than 2 minutes and your voice can help.
SCAN THE QR CODE OR GO TO WWW.UTAHVAPOR.COM AND LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD.
SOURCES
Gov. Cox signs bill banning flavored vape products – <https://www.abc4.com/news/politics/gov-cox-signs-bill-banning-flavored-vape-products/>
Utah’s rate of vaping-related illness is among the worst in the nation. Here’s what you need to know. – https://www.sltrib.com/news/2019/09/20/utahs-rate-vaping-related/
SB0061 Bill– https://le.utah.gov/~2024/bills/static/SB0061.html
Bill History – Status – https://fastdemocracy.com/bill-search/ut/2024/bills/UTB00011279/#billtexts
Utah Vapor Association – https://utahvapor.com/
Utah Senate Democates X Feed – https://x.com/UtahSenDems/status/1756092036187410878
New Utah law banning flavored e-cigarettes will drive vape shops out of business, industry says – https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2024/04/17/new-utah-law-banning-flavored-e/