Governor Josh Green, M.D.

Governor Green signed anti­vaping bill SB975, now Act 62, which will reduce access and availability of electronic smoking devices to children and teens. Act 62 establishes the offense of unlawful shipment of tobacco products to anyone who does not hold a valid retail permit or wholesale license. Also, beginning January 1, 2024, there will be a wholesale tax of 70 percent on electronic smoking devices or e­liquid sold in the state.

“Tobacco is the single­most­preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the U.S. There has been an increase in youth vaping over the last 10 years, which has caused a health crisis in our schools and communities. Regulation and taxation are critical components to ending the youth vaping epidemic,” said Governor Green.

Dr. Bryan Mih, Medical Director of the Kapi‘olani Smokefree Families Program at Hawai‘i Pacific Health said, “We now have a new law that will help reduce exposure to harmful chemicals and decrease the number of young people and children becoming lifetime nicotine addicts.”

“We received overwhelming youth testimony in support of stricter measures on these nicotine products,” said Representative Scot Matayoshi. “By making vaping products more expensive, we make them less accessible to children and adults, lowering the negative health impact on our community.”