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A statewide ban on flavored tobacco, nicotine, and vapor products is moving forward in the Washington legislature.

The Washington State House Committee on Consumer Protection & Business narrowly advanced House Bill 1203 (HB 1203) by an 8-7 vote Tuesday, setting the stage for further legislative debate.

The bill now moves to the House Ways and Means Committee for further consideration, but its main sponsor, Representative Kristin Reeves (D-Federal Way), indicated during the vote, that the bill needs more work.

What鈥檚 in the flavored tobacco bill?

If passed, HB 1203 would prohibit the sale, display, and advertisement of flavored tobacco, nicotine, and vapor products, including those marketed with terms like 鈥渃ool,鈥� 鈥渃hill,鈥� 鈥渋ce,鈥� or 鈥渇resh.鈥� Additionally, the bill targets so-called 鈥渆ntertainment vapor products,鈥� which include vape devices with interactive features such as music or video display capabilities.

The legislation also mandates a statewide public awareness campaign led by the Department of Health to educate the public on the risks of flavored nicotine products.

Retailers would be required to post clear signage notifying customers of the ban, and violators would face stiff penalties enforced by the Liquor and Cannabis Board.

A Heated Committee Debate

While the bill moved forward, the debate in committee reflected deep divisions over the proposal. Rep. Reeves urged colleagues to vote yes but acknowledged that the measure still needed work.

鈥淓ncouraging a yes vote on this,聽in the interest of compromise…there is still plenty of work to do on this legislation,鈥澛爏he said.

On the other side of the debate, Representative Chris Corey (R-Yakima) voiced strong opposition, arguing that adults should have the right to make their own choices.

鈥淚 think that this bill, while I understand the underlying merits…it鈥檚 a little paternalistic for us to say which products they can and can鈥檛 have,鈥澛爃e said.听Corey also warned of unintended consequences, citing examples from other states where similar bans have fueled underground markets.

Representative Brandy Donaghy (D-Snohomish), while ultimately voting in favor of advancing the bill, echoed some of Corey鈥檚 concerns.

鈥淚 think when it comes to adults, adults should be able to make their choices. And it seems like the goal here is to try to avoid marketing towards children. I think there are much, much better ways to do this than simply making something completely unavailable,鈥� Donaghy stated.

What鈥檚 Next?

With the bill now in the hands of the House Ways and Means Committee, further negotiations and amendments are expected. Lawmakers, including Representative Reeves, have signaled their intent to work on refining the bill before it moves any further.

For now, the debate continues鈥攑itting public health concerns against personal freedom and economic considerations. As the discussion progresses, Washington residents and stakeholders on both sides of the issue will be watching closely.

It’s companion bill in the Senate; SB 5143 had a public hearing in front of the Senate Health & Long-Term Care committee on February 14^th聽but the chair of the committee has not set a date for a final vote.听 聽The bill would have to pass out of committee by Friday in order to stay alive this legislative聽session.

Matt Markovich often covers the state legislature and public politics for 成人X站 Newsradio. You can read more of Matt’s stories here. Follow him on , or email him here.听