Texas Warning: Retailers Should Not Sell E-cigarettes That Attract Minors

According to a report by FocusDaily News, Texas Treasury Secretary Glenn Hagar has reminded retailers that advertising, selling, or causing the sale of electronic cigarette products designed to attract minors in the Texas market will be considered a crime starting from January 1, 2024.
"Selling e-cigarettes to minors is illegal, and these products are dangerous. They usually contain nicotine, heavy metals, and carcinogens, but are intentionally designed to attract minors."
Hagrid said, "Texas has taken action to address this deceptive marketing approach, and I am very grateful for the partnership with retailers across the state to help us protect our most precious resource: our children."
House Bill 4758 stipulates that if a person's market, advertising, sales, or sale of electronic cigarette products and the packaging of such products meet any of the following criteria, then that person will constitute a Class B misdemeanor that can lead to civil and criminal penalties:
Describe a cartoon style fictional character, imitating characters primarily aimed at entertaining minors;
Imitate or imitate the trademark or product image of products primarily marketed to minors;
Including symbols primarily used for selling products to minors;
Including images of celebrities;
Include images similar to food, including candy or juice.
Violation of these regulations may result in a B-level misdemeanor, with a maximum sentence of 180 days imprisonment, a maximum fine of $2000, or both. Electronic cigarette retailers may also face civil fines of up to $3000 and have their licenses revoked or revoked due to repeated violations.
More than 2.1 million high school and junior high school students who participated in the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey stated that they use e-cigarette products, making it the most popular tobacco product among teenage users for the tenth consecutive year.
The tobacco law enforcement program of the Ministry of Finance helps prevent children from accessing cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and other tobacco products. This important public health task requires continuous vigilance and effort from parents, business owners, government officials, and all relevant Texans. The Ministry of Finance and cooperating institutions conduct inspections on the labeling and employee compliance of the sale, possession, and use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and tobacco products.