Gov. Phil Scott on Wednesday vetoed a bill that would ban the sale of flavored tobacco products and e-liquids in Vermont, calling it hypocritical to restrict such products while allowing flavored cannabis and alcohol sales.
The bill,
S.18, did not pass by veto-proof majorities, but advocates said they would try to get lawmakers to override the veto.
Supporters of the measure
have noted the soaring rates of flavored tobacco and vape use in the state. Vaping, particularly among youths, has doubled since 2016.
But Scott has long expressed concerns about a ban, including the potential loss of $15 million or more in tax revenue. In his veto letter to lawmakers, he focused on the inconsistent regulations for flavored products that are available to adults 21 and over.
“I, too, feel we have an obligation to protect our children, but it must be balanced in such a way that we honor the rights and freedoms of adults to make decisions about their individual lives,” Scott wrote.
The Flavors Hook Kids Vermont campaign, which has the support of more than 50 organizations, including the American Heart Association and Vermont-NEA teachers’ union, released a statement blasting the decision.
“We are deeply disappointed that the Governor has ignored the dozens of hours of medical testimony, the support of his own Department of Health, and has sided with the tobacco industry to the detriment of Vermont kids,” the group wrote.
The organization called Scott’s comparison to cannabis and alcohol products “misguided” and claimed it was "thoroughly debunked" during testimony.
“When a dangerous and addictive product is hooking an entire generation on nicotine, the annual cost of which to the state is over $400 million, it’s common sense to take it off the market,” the group wrote.
Scott nevertheless noted that the legislature in 2020 legalized the sale of cannabis, including edibles and other flavored products, “despite the known risks to youth and their developing brains.”
click to enlarge - Kevin McCallum ©️ Seven Days
- Flavored vaping products
The state also allows distilleries and breweries to produce and sell flavored products despite their known ills.
“I’ve found people lose faith in government when policies have these types of inconsistencies, because they contradict common sense,” Scott wrote.
The percentage of smokers in Vermont who use flavored tobacco and vaping products has risen sharply since 2016, to 53 percent of smokers and 89 percent of people who vape, according to data from the state Department of Health.
Most vape products contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Lawmakers also heard evidence that tobacco companies disproportionately target Black and LGBTQ+ people with marketing for flavored products.