TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WWSB) – With little time remaining in the 2020 legislative session, Florida lawmakers approved a proposal that would largely bring the state into compliance with federal laws about electronic cigarettes.
Senate President Bill Galvano made addressing what health officials call a youth vaping “epidemic” one of his top priorities for the session.
Late Thursday evening, the Senate passed a measure (SB 810) that would identify e-cigarettes and vaping products as “tobacco products” and raise the age to purchase any tobacco products — including tobacco cigarettes, dip and chew, as well as e-cigarettes — from 18 to 21.
The age hike would bring Florida in line with a federal law that went into effect in January, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has defined “electronic nicotine delivery systems” as tobacco products since 2016.