Alabama Senate Passes Bill to Ban E-Cigarettes for Minors

The Alabama Senate has unanimously passed SB316, an amendment to Section 28-11-14 of the Code of Alabama 1975. The bill aims to provide further prohibitions on the possession of electronic nicotine delivery systems by individuals under the age of 21. The bill, once passed by the House, will ban e-cigarettes for minors under 21. According to Drug Education Council Executive Director Virginia Guy, this was a decisive action to address the underage vaping crisis.

The bill was introduced to the Senate on May 11 by Senator Vivian Figures (D-Mobile), sponsored by all of her colleagues in the Senate. If the bill is passed by the House, it will make it illegal for anyone under 21 to buy, use, posses or transport any vaping devices or materials, including e-liquids, CBD oil, nicotine salt, or any other substance inhaled using vaping devices. An amendment passed with the bill expanded the prohibitions to include “other electronic battery-powered” devices. The Drug Education Council reports that more than half of all high school students nationwide have vaped, with nearly half of those vaping at least 20 days per month and almost one third vaping daily.

Senator Vivian Figures has expressed her commitment to stopping underage access to e-cigarettes and keeping Alabama’s young people healthy. She stated that “Alabama has one of the highest incidences of vaping in the nation, which leads to higher healthcare costs, a loss of productivity, and a higher morbidity.”

The bill is currently being considered by the House Judiciary Committee. At the time of publication, results of the discussion were not yet available.