A bill that looks to make it harder for retailers to sell vaping products to children in Kentucky now awaits Governor Andy Beshear’s signature.
Senate Bill 100 received bipartisan support from the state House and Senate as the Kentucky General Assembly takes a 10-day break for a veto period.
The bill would create the Division of Tobacco, Nicotine, and Vapor Product Licensing within the Department of Beverage Control, which would give investigators the authority to inspect any premise where alternative nicotine, tobacco, and vaping products are sold without obtaining a search warrant.
Advocates for the bill, like Terry Brooks, executive director for the Kentucky Youth Advocates (KYA), said this move would help create safe and healthy environments for kids in Kentucky.
Senate Bill 100 would also require retailers that sell any nicotine products to be licensed and would establish penalties for retailers that sell these products without a license.
Results from an annual survey from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration show, in 2024, 1.63 million young kids across the country said they use e-cigarettes. Brooks said the Kentucky Youth Advocates hear constantly from school principals saying their students vape in school.
While he recognizes this bill wouldn’t solve the entire issue around vaping, Brooks said it at least gets the ball rolling.
If the bill is signed into law by Governor Beshear, Kentucky will join 40 other states who have similar programs preventing retailers from selling vaping products to minors.
Source: WBKO
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