BILL AS INTRODUCED H.18
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1 H.18
2 Introduced by Representative Page of Newport City
3 Referred to Committee on
4 Date:
5 Subject: Tobacco products; cigarettes; cannabis; single-use filters
6 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to prohibit the
7 sale in Vermont of cannabis and tobacco products, including cigarettes, that
8 utilize single-use filters.
9 An act relating to prohibiting the sale of cannabis and tobacco products
10 utilizing single-use filters
11 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
12 Sec. 1. FINDINGS
13 The General Assembly finds that:
14 (1) A cigarette butt is composed of a cigarette filter and any unsmoked
15 portion of a cigarette. More than 95 percent of cigarette filters are made of a
16 nonbiodegradable plastic known as cellulose acetate.
17 (2) Discarded cigarette butts introduce hazardous toxins, including lead
18 and arsenic, into the environment and contribute significantly to pollution in
19 the soil and waterways, impacting the health of fish and other wildlife and the
20 safety of the food supply for humans.
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1 (3) Cigarette filters do not improve the safety or healthfulness of
2 cigarettes; in fact, the U.S. Surgeon General has noted an increased risk of lung
3 cancer associated with filtered cigarettes. Filters allow smokers to inhale more
4 frequently and more deeply from cigarettes, drawing carcinogens deeper into
5 the lung tissue.
6 (4) Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the United States and
7 around the world. Worldwide, approximately 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are
8 littered each year, adding up to more than 1.5 billion pounds of trash and
9 requiring the expenditure of millions of dollars on clean-up costs.
10 (5) Efforts to prevent cigarette butt litter by educating consumers have
11 failed. Littering is often considered by smokers to be part of the smoking
12 ritual, with 75 percent of smokers reporting disposing of their cigarettes on the
13 ground or out of a car door or window.
14 Sec. 2. 7 V.S.A. § 868 is amended to read:
15 § 868. PROHIBITED PRODUCTS
16 (a) The following are prohibited products and may not be cultivated,
17 produced, or sold pursuant to a license issued under this chapter:
18 ***
19 (3) cannabis products that contain delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol and
20 nicotine or alcoholic beverages; and VT LEG #365786 v.1
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1 (4) any cannabis, cannabis products, or packaging of such items that are
2 designed to make the product more appealing to persons under 21 years of age;
3 (5) any cannabis product utilizing a single-use filter made of any
4 material, including cellulose acetate, any other fibrous plastic material, or any
5 organic or biodegradable material; and
6 (6) any attachable and single-use device made of any material intended
7 to facilitate manual manipulation or filtration of cannabis or a cannabis
8 product.
9 ***
10 Sec. 3. 7 V.S.A. § 1003 is amended to read:
11 § 1003. SALE OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS; TOBACCO SUBSTITUTES;
12 TOBACCO PARAPHERNALIA; REQUIREMENTS;
13 PROHIBITIONS
14 ***
15 (g) A person shall not sell or provide:
16 (1) a tobacco product utilizing a single-use filter made of any material,
17 including cellulose acetate, any other fibrous plastic material, or any organic or
18 biodegradable material; or
19 (2) an attachable and single-use device made of any material intended to
20 facilitate manual manipulation or filtration of a tobacco product.
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1 Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE
2 This act shall take effect on July 1, 2023.
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Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 7-868, 7-1003