OLYMPIA, Washington (Legal Newsline) — The Office of Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson has announced the state’s Senate advanced a bill that reduces youth access to vapor products by a 37-6 vote.
The bill heads to the Washington House of Representatives.
The bill, named Senate Bill 6328 and sponsored by Sen. Bruce Dammeier (R-Puyallup), establishes statewide rules and regulations for the sale of e-cigarettes and vapor products. Currently, there are no regulations for these types of products. Stores and online retailers don’t have to acquire licensing to sell them.
The bill would create retail, distributor and delivery licenses.
“This bill is an important step in protecting our kids from a largely unregulated industry,” Ferguson said. “By increasing enforcement and labeling requirements, we increase public safety and empower consumers to make informed decisions on what they consume.”
The bill also would add additional protection for minors, including requiring child-resistant packaging, warning labels, disclosure of nicotine content and buyer age verification for Internet sellers.