Maryland Bill HB 1033 has been introduced and referred to the House Committee on Economic Matters. HB 1033 is scheduled for a hearing on:

• Tuesday, February 20, 2024
• 1:00 PM
• House Office Building, Room 230

*Written Testimony can only be submitted on Friday, February 16 between 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Please see “Witness Signup and Testimony Upload” below for instructions. You will need to create a free MyMGA account in order to upload your comments and sign up to testify in person or virtually.

If enacted, this law would effectively make the state of Maryland an enforcement arm of the Food and Drug Administration requiring state authorities to enforce the disastrous federal anti-vaping regulations. This would put independent vape shops out of business, hundreds of workers out of jobs, and thousands of people at risk of returning to smoking, or delaying transition to non-combustible alternatives.

Click here or on the CASAA banner above to make your voice heard. This law will serve as a vape ban that provides Big Tobacco with a monopoly while criminalizing the sales of popular flavored vapes. 

CRITICISMS OF PMTA REGISTRY BILLS

1. Structured so that the tobacco industry’s vape products remain on market, despite also not having received PMTA authorization, while barring their less expensive competition.
2. Serves as a flavor ban, denying adult vapers the flavors they prefer. An FDA funded study found cigarette sales increase in areas with flavor bans.
3. Bars easy to use disposable vapes, which are ideal for initiates and not coincidentally compete head-to-head with prefilled pod kits made by Big Tobacco.
4. Harms small businesses, vape shops and convenience stores, by removing high-volume and profitable products while leaving lower margin tobacco industry vapes on shelves.
5. Contrary to spirit of consumer choice and entrepreneurship, barring products released after 2016.

MARYLAND Will FOOT BILL FOR BIG TOBACCO MONOPOLY

The price difference between independent vape industry products and those made by Big Tobacco is staggering. It costs over $200 to vape 30ml of e-liquid from a Vuse Alto. For Juul users, that cost increases to nearly $350 per 30ml.

A Lost Mary MT15000 Turbo costs a $63 to vape the same amount of e-liquid. The difference for the average user can equal a car lease or student loan payment. 

This table does not even account for the fact that a legally enforced monopoly will provide the tobacco industry with the freedom to raise prices further. What is the worst that can happen? Profitable cigarettes sold in place of vapes?

Consumer freedom, choice, and your pocketbook will take a huge hit if the Maryland Vape Sales Ban is to pass.