Ohio House bill would create vaping registry, tighter regulations on sales

Ohio lawmakers want to crack down on the state’s largely unchecked vaping market by creating a statewide product registry and tightening licensing requirements for retailers (Source: “Ohio lawmakers want vaping registry, strict licensing in crackdown on unregulated market,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, May 19).
 
House Bill 849, sponsored by Republican Reps. Jodi Salvo of Bolivar and Phil Plummer of Dayton, would establish a directory of vaping products that have received or are seeking federal authorization, effectively banning the sale of products not on the list and treating them as contraband.
 
The bill would ban marketing and packaging designed to appeal to minors, including products that feature cartoon characters, celebrity imagery or designs that mimic school supplies, smartphones, cosmetics or toys, as well as products with built-in entertainment features such as games or music.
 
Retailers would pay a $125 application fee per location for a license to sell vaping products. Distributors handling vapor products exclusively would pay the same rate, while those distributing tobacco products — or both tobacco and vapor products — would face a $1,000 per-location fee.