Tuesday morning, nearly 200 Vermont students marched the streets of Montpelier and took to the statehouse to show their support for S.18, a bill that would ban flavored forms of tobacco and nicotine. Students honed in on vape use at their schools. “It’s, like, really scary because some people are doing it at school, which is scary,” Allie Barrett, an eighth grader from Williston Central, said. Sen. Ginny Lyons, the lead sponsor of the bill, has been attempting for years to get this bill to the finish line. “Don’t let the big companies win. We can’t do that,” Lyons said.Vermont’s top doctor was also in attendance and showed his support of a flavor ban. “Now we know nicotine harms the body and the developing brain. We have the data, it’s impacting the youth, LGBTQ community, it’s impacting African Americans; I could go on and on,” Dr. Mark Levine, the state’s health commissioner, said. However, not everyone sees it the same way, citing local businesses could face the harshest realities. “Where you would see it is on the retail side where a corner shop possibly closing because of the high revenue that comes in, so maybe you don’t have a Joe or Jane at the front counter when you pick up your coffee or paper anymore because of reduced profits,” VJ Mayor, the executive director of the Northeast Wholesalers Association, said. The state’s Joint Fiscal Office estimates the state could lose up to $13.5 million of tax revenue in the first full year of the ban. Those opposed are also concerned about what kind of black market could be created, and added that after Massachusetts passed a similar ban, neighboring states saw an influx of sales.”We saw a huge increase with cross border sales in New Hampshire, and the opposite side is those that argue that it’s leveled off, I’ll say that it’s leveled off at that higher percentage of sales,” Mayor said.The bill currently sits in the state’s tax committee and is not scheduled to be voted on this week.
Tuesday morning, nearly 200 Vermont students marched the streets of Montpelier and took to the statehouse to show their support for S.18, a bill that would ban flavored forms of tobacco and nicotine.
Students honed in on vape use at their schools.
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“It’s, like, really scary because some people are doing it at school, which is scary,” Allie Barrett, an eighth grader from Williston Central, said.
Sen. Ginny Lyons, the lead sponsor of the bill, has been attempting for years to get this bill to the finish line.
“Don’t let the big companies win. We can’t do that,” Lyons said.
Vermont’s top doctor was also in attendance and showed his support of a flavor ban.
“Now we know nicotine harms the body and the developing brain. We have the data, it’s impacting the youth, LGBTQ community, it’s impacting African Americans; I could go on and on,” Dr. Mark Levine, the state’s health commissioner, said.
However, not everyone sees it the same way, citing local businesses could face the harshest realities.
“Where you would see it is on the retail side where a corner shop possibly closing because of the high revenue that comes in, so maybe you don’t have a Joe or Jane at the front counter when you pick up your coffee or paper anymore because of reduced profits,” VJ Mayor, the executive director of the Northeast Wholesalers Association, said.
The state’s Joint Fiscal Office estimates the state could lose up to $13.5 million of tax revenue in the first full year of the ban.
Those opposed are also concerned about what kind of black market could be created, and added that after Massachusetts passed a similar ban, neighboring states saw an influx of sales.
“We saw a huge increase with cross border sales in New Hampshire, and the opposite side is those that argue that it’s leveled off, I’ll say that it’s leveled off at that higher percentage of sales,” Mayor said.
The bill currently sits in the state’s tax committee and is not scheduled to be voted on this week.
