WA bill would ban flavored nicotine and tobacco to combat ‘epidemic’ of youth vaping
Julian Jansen was 11 years old when he tried his first vape. Testifying before state lawmakers Friday morning, the Eatonville High School student said he was drawn to the colorful design and fruity flavors.
Before long, Jansen said, he had developed a serious addiction — one he’s still trying to overcome. And he’s not alone. He said he’s even seen elementary school kids inhaling from vapes.
It’s why Jansen spoke in favor of House Bill 1203, which would prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco, vapor or nicotine products in Washington. Such merchandise is designed to hook kids, he said: “And it’s working.”
“Banning flavored nicotine products in Washington will protect future generations by making these products less accessible,” Jansen said. “Children shouldn’t face the risk of nicotine addiction at such a young age, yet they do.”
HB 1203 was heard Friday, Jan. 31, in the House Consumer Protection and Business Committee. Its prime sponsor, state Rep. Kristine Reeves, said her mother struggled with substance-use disorder. Her mom “started those lifelong addictions by smoking menthol cigarettes at the age of 9” and ultimately died of lung cancer at age 60.
The Federal Way Democrat said she wants to ensure that the state’s kids don’t have to live with the same lifelong addiction.
“I want to make sure that our society and our communities are healthier and stronger,” said Reeves, who chairs the Washington Legislative Black Caucus. “And we start that work today by ending the sale of flavored tobacco in the state of Washington.”
Supporters of the bill argue that flavored tobacco is designed to entice youth with punchy flavors such as piña colada, strawberry banana and blueberry ice. They say the ban would work to protect the health of future generations and save lives.
Critics, meanwhile, worry that a prohibition could harm small businesses, including grocers and convenience-store owners, who adhere to ID laws that keep the products away from minors. Others believe it could lead to a flavored-nicotine black market and perpetuate racial injustice.
Lamont Robinson likened the measure to a “new stop-and-frisk,” referencing a controversial bygone police tactic used to harass people of color that’s been deemed unconstitutional. As an African American man who smokes menthol cigarettes, Robinson said he finds the proposal worrisome.
“Historically, African Americans have been the predominant consumers of menthol cigarettes,” Robinson said. “These bans, though aimed at improving public health, overlook the disproportionate impact in our community.”
Multiple mothers testified in favor of the ban. Onya Robertson said her asthmatic teen son hid his vaping habit for more than a year. After she found out, she worked to help him quit, describing it as a “chaotic time.”
Students testified on Friday that they felt pressured by their peers to start vaping. Robertson noted that kids who don’t follow suit are viewed as weird or lame.
Another mother, April Keim, volunteers with the group Parents Against Vaping E-cigarettes. She said her high school-aged daughter first started vaping in eighth grade and remains addicted today. Students can obtain vapes through a “plug,” including via social media such as Snapchat or stores that don’t check IDs, Keim said.
“I’ve tried to involve her school in a supportive way, but vaping is so pervasive that they even can’t control it,” she said. “The reality is that the vape detectors go off all day long, and the faculty can’t keep up with the demand.”
State Superintendent Chris Reykdal urged lawmakers to pass the bill to help combat vaping among kids: “It’s an epidemic,” he said.
Some 1.63 million U.S. students in 2024 reported using e-cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those, 87.6% said they used flavored devices.
Reykdal said anti-smoking campaigns in the late 1970s and early 1980s could target a handful of teen magazines and network channels. Today things are complicated by social media, he said. There isn’t a way to regulate the constant stream of messages geared toward young audiences.
The number of kids who vape in Washington is quite high, said Michele Roberts with the state Department of Health. A recent survey showed 14% of seniors statewide use e-cigarettes, with higher rates among BIPOC youth, girls and students with disabilities.
Nicotine addiction can harm brain development among adolescents, Roberts said. That’s especially the case for the parts of the brain responsible for learning, attention and memory.
Yet others noted on Friday that vaping has also helped many adults kick their addiction to cigarettes.
“The industry was designed by smokers, not with Big Tobacco involved whatsoever, to get them to stop smoking cigarettes,” said Sara Stewart, a representative from the Washington Smoke-Free Association.
If the bill gets signed into law, Washington would join California and eight other states in banning flavored vaping products.
Crystal Leatherman with the Washington Retail Association pointed out that after Massachusetts enacted a similar law, cigarette sales in neighboring states soared. She acknowledged that the intent of the Washington bill is good, but it could also lead to a burgeoning, unregulated black market.
Retailers are careful to check IDs and act as a “firewall” between the products and kids, she contends.
Several Washington students testified Friday to the addictive nature of flavored vapes.
Marley Franich, 11, said she became interested in vaping after encountering teens and adults using such devices and seeing advertisements in gas stations and stores. The middle school student noted that kids her age aren’t as interested in gross-tasting standard tobacco as they are in products with “fun” flavors like mango.
“This is why,” Marley said, “if we aren’t going to ban all vapes, then we should at least ban flavored vapes with this bill for the safety of Washington state’s children — to put America’s children first for once.”
This story was originally published January 31, 2025 at 3:02 PM.
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