Kentucky Court Upholds Law Restricting E-Cigarette Sales in 2024

According to a report by Yahoo on July 29, Judge Thomas Wingate of the Franklin Circuit Court in Kentucky dismissed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a law banning the sale of certain e-cigarette products in 2024.

Wingate chose to stand on the side of the defendants in the lawsuit, namely Allyson Taylor, the Director of the Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, and Secretary of State Michael Adams, who filed a motion to dismiss the case.

Greg Troutman, a lawyer representing e-cigarette retailers, believes that this law is too broad and arbitrary to pass constitutional scrutiny, as it is titled the "Nicotine Products Act" but also includes "other substances." According to the state constitution, a law cannot address multiple subjects at once.

Wingate stated in his opinion that the law did not violate the state constitution. Wingate wrote that the title of the law "provides a clue to its contents and gives a general overview of its content.

He further wrote that the way "other substances" are mentioned in the law does not go beyond the context of the act, but logically indicates what is unauthorized.

The lawsuit revolves around the 11th House Bill that was passed during the 2024 legislative session and went into effect on January 1. Supporters of the bill argue that restricting the sale of e-cigarettes to "authorized products" or those that have obtained a "safe harbor certification" from the US FDA can reduce underage use of e-cigarettes.

Opponents of the bill argue that it will harm small businesses, lead to monopolies by large retailers, and potentially result in teenagers turning to traditional cigarettes.

According to records from the Legislative Ethics Commission, tobacco giant Altria has lobbied for a bill in Kentucky, and is also pushing similar legislation in other states. Altria is aggressively entering the e-cigarette market, selling a variety of e-cigarette products that have been approved by the FDA.

Wenget wrote in his opinion published on Monday that

The sale of nicotine and vaping products is highly regulated in every state, with legislative bodies deciding to only allow the sale of e-cigarette products approved by the FDA or granted safe harbor certification. The courts will not question the specific reasons for these decisions made by the legislative bodies, as the regulation of these products directly relates to the health and safety of the state's residents, a power granted to the legislative bodies by the Kentucky state constitution.