threatens to undo critical progress made in the fight against youth vaping. Just one year ago, the Utah Legislature overwhelmingly passed Senate Bill 61 (SB 61), which:
Banned flavored e-cigarettes, except menthol and tobacco
Required registration of all e-cigarettes sold in Utah
Limited nicotine content to 4% to reduce addiction risks
Aligned Utah law with FDA regulations to prevent illegal sales
HB 432 aims to dismantle these protections by allowing "specialty retailers" to sell any flavor at any nicotine level under the guise of electronic age-verification.
The Utah Vaping Association knows that this won’t stop youth access. Older teens buy vapes and resell them to younger kids. HB 432 would flood Utah with unregistered, unregulated Chinese vapes containing unknown chemicals. This bill is about profit—not public health.
E-cigarettes pose serious health risks to young people, including:
Nicotine addiction that alters brain development
Increased risk of smoking cigarettes and using harmful substances
Lung damage and long-term respiratory issues
In 2020, Utah tried to restrict flavored vapes, but retailers found loopholes—rebranding flavors with misleading names like "Mint Candy." Despite the law’s intent, flavored vapes remained widely available. The industry has repeatedly sued to weaken regulations, ensuring highly addictive vapes stay on the market.
SB 61 was a bipartisan win for Utah’s youth. But instead of complying, the Utah Vaping Association has:
Refused to stop selling non-compliant vapes
Ignored legislative intent
Filed lawsuits to overturn SB 61