The Effort To Ban Flavored Vaping Products, Menthol Cigarettes In Colorado Now Has A Big Asterisk
The loss from tax revenue would be way too big a cost
Democratic state lawmakers set out this year to pass a bill banning the sale of all flavored vaping and nicotine products in Colorado, including menthol cigarettes and wintergreen smokeless tobacco, as a way to curb teen use.
They won’t get it done.
On Tuesday, House Bill 1319 — which sought to impose the blanket ban — was amended to allow age-restricted businesses, ones that must verify that anyone who enters is 21 or older, to continue selling those products.
The amendment would allow most vape shops and Smoker Friendly locations across the state to keep selling flavored tobacco products. However, grocery and convenience stores, would be banned from peddling them. (Liquor stores are seeking guidance from lawmakers are where they fall.)
Caraveo said she’s now confident about the bill’s chances for passage. She said lobbying by tobacco retailers didn’t play a huge role in the amendment, but that the impact to the state budget threatened the legislation’s passage.
“I think we’re much more confident about this option compared to others because it keeps these businesses open while still trying to address youth use,” she said, noting that some Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern about how the measure would affect small-business owners.
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