Kentucky House passes bill meant to crack down on electronic cigarette sales to minors

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Legislation aimed at cracking down on the illegal sale of electronic cigarettes to young people and keeping unauthorized vaping products out of stores won passage in the Kentucky House on Monday.

Republican state Rep. Rebecca Raymer, the bill’s lead sponsor, said it’s a response to the state’s “vaping epidemic” and, in particular, complaints about how rampant vaping has become in schools.

“As I dove into this subject, I learned that most of what is confiscated is flavored and disposable vapes. Looking further, I found out that many of these vapes are not even authorized for sale,” Raymer said in a statement after the bill’s passage.

The measure cleared the House on a 62-26 vote and heads to the Senate next. Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers.

The bill would require Kentucky businesses to acknowledge whether they’re involved in the retail sale of tobacco products when filing business paperwork with the Secretary of State’s office. That list would be sent to the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which regulates tobacco and vape sales.

The minimum legal age to buy smoking products is 21 in Kentucky. For a first citation under the bill, retailers would face a fine of $100 to $500. The penalty would grow to $1,000 for a second offense and $5,000 for third and subsequent offenses. The bill also includes fines for wholesalers and manufacturers found to be involved in the distribution of unauthorized tobacco products.

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