A new Kentucky bill could ban the sale of flavored vapes | News

HENDERSON, Ky. (WEVV) — A new bill in the house could close 450 vape shops across Kentucky.

Kentucky House Bill 11 will only allow retailers to sell FDA approved smokeless nicotine products.

As of November, the FDA currently has 23 approved e-cigarette products which are all tobacco flavored.

In a statement from the bill sponsor, Rep. Rebecca Raymer of Morgantown, says, “We as a state have an obligation to offer some public protection to our citizens. If we know these products are not authorized, they’re not legal per the FDA, we shouldn’t have them on the shelf.”

The bill targets e-cigarettes and vapes that have fruity flavors and colorful packaging that purposely targets youth.

The CDC reported that in 2023, there was a decline in e-cigarette use by high school and middle schoolers, from 14.1% to 10%.

Rob Bowen, the owner of Nice Guy Vapors, says, “You can sell FDA approved products, however there’s only about 15 of them; adults like choices.”

This comes just five years since the U.S. passed a federal law to raise the age of purchasing tobacco products to 21 years-old.

With this new Kentucky house bill, Bowen says he thinks it will create more harm than good.

“For the last 10 years we’ve tried to get people to quit smoking, and start vaping, and eventually quit vaping,” says Bowen. “Adult smokers who are not able to vape and access their vapes and their products, here that the store provides, they’re going to go back to smoking.”

Bowen says that people will go to other extremes to find the products they want even if it means going to an unlicensed retailer.

Instead, Bowen says he would like to see legislation that would control who sells vapor products and not allow the sell of them in gas stations or convenience stores.

Now as the bill passed the house committee, and into the full house, vape shop owners are anxious to see what will happen to their businesses.

Bowen says, “We’ll be forced to go out of business. There’s no way we can sustain what we’re doing or how we help people without having access to these products for adults.”

The house is set to vote on the bill on Monday.