Boulder Bans Flavored E-Cigs, Proposes 40 Percent Tax Hike

BOULDER, CO — The City of Boulder last week finalized a ban on flavored electronic cigarette products, increased the age to purchase nicotine and tobacco products within the city to 21 years old and decided to place a measure on the November ballot asking the community to increase the tax on remaining legal vaping products by 40 percent, according to a report.

The proposal did stop short of asking voters to approve a $3-per-pack increase on traditional cigarettes and a 40-percent tax increase on all other tobacco products, the Denver Post reported. Some Boulder City Council members expressed disappointment with the specific lack of language, calling it a “half measure.”

According to the new rules, stores also are banned from selling more than two e-cigarettes or four associated products, including vapor refills, to any one person in any 24-hour period. In addition, Boulder tobacco retailers will not be able to sell to anyone purchasing any kind of tobacco product without first verifying their age on at least two different databases, including social media or marketing data.

Mint and menthol-flavored vaping products will be allowed to be sold in the city through Jan. 1, so businesses can empty their inventories. Businesses caught selling prohibited products could face an up to a $5,000 fine.

The new regulations are in response to what is seen as a youth vaping epidemic, with 33 percent of Boulder Valley School District high school students admitting to vaping. This statistic exceeds the Colorado average of 26.2 percent and the national average of 13.2 percent, according to a Boulder County Healthy Kids survey cited by city staff.

More than 100 people across the country have been hospitalized with lung problems apparently related to vaping and e-cigarette products. In August, a patient in Illinois died after being hospitalized with severe respiratory illness after vaping.

Just last week, a second case of a vaping-related illness was confirmed in Colorado. In an Aug. 29 press conference, Colorado Department of Health representative Tony Cappello said both cases were found in young adults in Front Range communities.

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