Texas Senate proposes bill to ban flavored tobacco and vape products

A new bill proposed by the Texas Senate will prohibit the sale of all flavored tobacco and e-cigarette products.

Houston Senator Carol Alvarado has introduced Senate Bill 920, aimed at banning the sale of flavored tobacco and flavored electronic cigarette products in the state. According to the bill, a product will be defined as flavored if it has a discernible taste or aroma other than tobacco. Interestingly, the bill also includes a "rebuttable presumption" clause, which states that if a company openly declares that its product has a taste or aroma other than tobacco, including using text or images on the product label, the product will be considered flavored and sales will be banned.

Like most tobacco bans on flavorings, S.B. 920 will not impose fines on individuals for buying, possessing, or using these products, but it will make it illegal to provide these products to others.

No form of exemption.

Although many states have proposed flavor bans in early 2023, there are specific cigar sales exemptions in place.

In Massachusetts, exemptions allow for special cigar lounges to continue selling flavored cigars, while in California, the sale of flavored cigars at wholesale prices of $12 is permitted.

Meanwhile, some tobacco companies have responded to California laws by replacing menthol cigarettes with new ones containing synthetic cooling agents that produce similar effects.

Earlier this year, the head of the Tobacco Products Center at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that the agency intends to announce a nationwide ban on flavored cigars and menthol cigarettes by the fall of 2023.

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A proposed bill in Texas aims to prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products and vaporizers.