The House is set to vote to ban sales of flavored e-cigarette liquids as part of a sweeping legislation to curb the youth vaping epidemic.
The House voted 210 to 200 Wednesday to approve a rule, allowing for the final passage of the bill on Thursday.
The bill, the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act authored by Democrat Frank Pallone of New Jersey, would also ban online sales of e-cigarettes and require the Food and Drug Administration to place graphic warnings on cigarette cartons depicting the health effects of smoking. It passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee in November.
President Trump warned that banning e-cigarette flavors would steer tobacco users to black market products two days after the bill advanced from the committee. However, he signed legislation increasing the federal legal age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21 in December.
A drastic spike in teens using e-cigarettes prompted members of Congress to debate similar flavor bans and decrease underage vaping. For instance, the House passed a bill in October which requires adults to sign for vaping products delivered by mail.
The bill has bipartisan support. Still, some Republicans oppose placing restrictions on sales of flavors to adults who use them lawfully. Texas Republican Michael Burgess, for example, said Thursday that the bill would not work to keep kids from using flavored e-cigarettes but rather would punish adults and hurt the small businesses who sell to adults.
“[The bill] does not address youth tobacco use. This bill would ban all flavored tobacco use for all ages, taking away choices for law-abiding adult Americans,” Burgess said.
Lawmakers and vape shop owners have protested against flavor bans because both fear it would hurt business. Owners of tobacco and vape shops say they shouldn’t be punished for selling flavored products to adults who are able to show proof of legal age to buy the e-liquids.
If the bill passes in the House, it will be the most comprehensive restriction of e-cigarette purchasing passed thus far.
