Bill Banning Flavored Tobacco Sales in Hawaii Dies in Senate

Flavored tobacco sales will remain legal in Hawaii for the time being.

A bill that sought to ban the sales of flavored tobacco and vaping products in Hawaii failed to get voted out of a Hawaii Senate committee, meaning the bill will not move forward. The bill passed the House earlier this month.

If passed, H.B. 551 would have banned the sales of flavored tobacco and vaping products effective Jan. 1, 2024. Retailers caught violating the standard would have been fined at least $100 for a first offense and up to $1,000 for subsequent violations.

This is the latest attempt at banning flavored tobacco sales in Hawaii. Last year, the Hawaii Legislature passed a bill, but it was vetoed by the governor.

While H.B. 551 will not move forward, there’s another bill, S.B. 1447, that would remove Hawaii’s existing preemption clause regarding tobacco regulations. This would allow counties to enact stricter laws than the state law, a way for bans on the sale of flavored tobacco and vaping products to begin. S.B. 1447 has already passed the Hawaii Senate and is continuing to move forward in the Hawaii House of Representatives.