Vapeboss – On June 20, a new Bill (RUU) in Ohio was reportedly going to ban the sale of all flavored vaping products other than tobacco and menthol not specifically authorized by the FDA. If passed, the law would severely impact the vape industry and eliminate legal access to products favored by the majority of consumers, including disposable vapes and bottled e-liquids. The proposed ban was included at the last minute in the Senate version of HB 33, the 2024-25 allocation bill. The amendment received no public debate, and the bill passed a day after it was updated.

The allocation bill also included a provision that would prohibit local governments in Ohio from passing their own tobacco and vaping-related restrictions. Such a law would prevent cities and counties from enacting product rules that could be stricter than the state's, such as the flavor ban passed by Columbus last year.

However, on June 30, the Ohio Bill Amendment that would ban all flavored vapes (except tobacco and menthol) authorized by the FDA was removed from the Bill. The flavor ban amendment was promoted to Ohio legislators by tobacco magnate RJ Reynolds, who sells Vuse vape products. The amendment is similar to those previously introduced in other states supported by Reynolds and Juul Labs. Both large companies sell vapes that are only available in tobacco and menthol flavors.

Both the Senate and the House have passed their own versions of the allocation bill, but differences between the bills (including the anti-flavor amendment) will require them to be reconciled in a conference committee before a final bill can be passed by the full General Assembly.

The purpose of the anti-flavor amendment was to eliminate competition with RJ Reynolds' Vuse vape products. While the company's Vuse Alto remains the most popular device in the convenience store/gas station segment of the vaping market, the Vuse Alto is now facing retail pressure from newly popular flavored disposable vape products, and ongoing competition with open-system vapes (bottled e-liquid and refillable devices) mostly sold in vape shops. To date, the FDA has not authorized any non-tobacco flavored vaping products, or any packaged e-liquids in any flavor.

Source: vaping360

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