New Hawaii laws tighten rules on vapes, ban disposable e-cigarettes
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Gov. Josh Green signed two bills into law Tuesday that implement stricter regulations on electronic smoking devices.
House Bill 1573 requires electronic smoking device and e-liquid manufacturers to certify annually to the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General that they received a federal Food and Drug Administration marketing granted order.
There are currently 45 e-cigarettes across five companies authorized by the FDA, many of which feature tobacco and menthol flavors. No candy- or fruit-flavored vapes are authorized.
“While it won’t take vaping off of the shelves, it’ll really narrow down that scope on what kind of products are now legally available for purchase,” said state Rep. Scot Matayoshi, chair of the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.
Under the new law, the attorney general will create a public directory of the approved products, and “have enforcement powers in seizing and destroying these illegal products that are not FDA-approved,” Matayoshi said.
Senate Bill 2175 prohibits the sale of any disposable electronic smoking devices in Hawaii beginning Jan. 1, 2027. Devices authorized for sale by an FDA marketing granted order — currently NJOY DAILY devices — are exempt from the ban.
Lawmakers said the bills aim to fight youth vaping in Hawaii, and reduce the amount of waste generated by disposable devices.
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“These two bills represent an incredible step forward in the right direction to stopping flavored vaping products — and vaping in general — from addicting a new generation of our kids,” Matayoshi said.
“There isn’t enough said about how bad vaping is for teens,” said Gov. Josh Green. “We’re going to continue to push the envelope to make sure that there’s not vaping available to young people.”
Maya Butts, a youth advocate with the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawaii, was on hand for the signing.
“Living in Hawaii, we know that we must take care of our aina. But these products do a lot more damage than what we would expect. I found myself picking up plastic disposable e-cigarettes during beach cleanups out of the sand,” she said.
“This bill will have lasting impacts across our state, from protecting the health of our communities to preserving the environment for generations to come,” Butts said.
Anyone who sells unauthorized disposable devices will be subject to fines of up to $100 per day for each violation.
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