VERMONT'S
TOBACCO LAWS
PROTECT EVERYONE
Tobacco substitutes containing nicotine, including e-cigarettes, can only be sold by a retailer who is licensed or has purchased their products from a licensed wholesaler.
Tobacco substitutes containing nicotine, including e-cigarettes, are subject to a 92% tax on the wholesale cost.
Vermont raised the age to purchase tobacco products to 21. This includes cigarettes, e-cigarettes and any other tobacco substitute that contains nicotine.
Flavored Tobacco Is:
ATTRACTIVE TO AND DANGEROUS FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS
The long-term health effects of vaping are unknown at this time.
10% of Vermont youth reported that the primary reason they use e-cigarette products is because they are available in many flavors.
Teens who first try tobacco using a vape are 3 times more likely to be a current cigarette smoker within two years.
85% of e-cigarette users ages 12-17 use flavored e-cigarettes. Starting with a flavored tobacco product increases likelihood of continuing flavored use as an adult. 15% of middle school students and 10% of high school students who used EVPs in the last 30 days primarily used them because they come in many flavors (source, source).
Mint and Menthol Flavors Are Still Legal and Dangerous
Sales of menthol and mint-flavored e-cigarettes shot up 105% after the FDA removed some flavored e-cigarettes from sale in 2020 (source, source).
Use of disposable e-cigarettes among youth was 10 times higher the year after the FDA cracked down on the sale of pre-filled flavor pods (source).
Pulegone, which gives e-cigarettes the mint/menthol flavor, can cause liver toxicity and kidney disease (source, source).
Youth who smoke menthol cigarettes report greater dependency on nicotine than non-menthol youth smokers (source).
Youth who try smoking menthol cigarettes first are more likely to progress to regular smoking than those who try smoking with non-menthol cigarettes (source, source).
Big Tobacco has a long history of targeting Black Americans with menthol cigarette advertising (source, source).
Youth are three times more likely to smoke menthol cigarettes than adults (source).
Flavored tobacco products especially menthol are promoted to target populations including at retail stores in Black neighborhoods and near schools (source).
The more often your children are exposed to flavored tobacco products and advertising, the more likely they are to start using tobacco.
Vermont by the numbers
50%
of Vermont high school students have tried an electronic vapor product, a significant increase from 2017.
27%
of all Vermont high school students have tried a flavored tobacco product.
10%
of Vermont students who currently use electronic vapor products report using them because they think they are less harmful than smoking.
WHAT RETAILERS ARE DOING
Vermonters are taking a stand against the tobacco industry’s influence. Check out the quotes below to see what these Vermonters are doing to reduce tobacco’s impact on our state’s young people. Contact Us to share your story.
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“I’ve seen everyone who smokes struggle in the 21 years I’ve owned the store. I do not carry the one packet cigars or dip. I have chosen not to use any sandwich boards or posters or any other marketing tool that the tobacco companies have put out that I can pick up at a trade show or get through my distributors. Wouldn’t it be great to see the next generation of Vermont children tobacco-free?”
Vaneasa Sterns Owner, Lincoln General Store
Lincoln -
“We gave up selling tobacco well over 20 years ago. We promote healthcare and smoking is just so against that.”
Steve Hochberg Owner & Pharmacist, Rutland Pharmacy
Rutland -
“In the last seven and a half years, a half a dozen of our regular customers who were cigarette smokers passed away. We decided to keep a limited selection, to display them as marginally as possible, and to do no secondary advertising — no posters, no plastic boxes, no kids’ characters of tobacco mascots.”
Brad Hartley Vermont Energy Co
Ferrisburg -
“I’ve been at the store for 61 years. My dad had a policy to never advertise or discount cigarettes. He never touched tobacco his whole life. I’ve kept that tradition all these years. I always discourage people from buying the products. I will not advertise it or discount it. I don’t want to see youth get hooked on something that’s going to be a real detriment to their health.”
Senator Dick Mazza Owner, Dick Mazza’s General Store & State Senator
Colchester -
“We decided as a family to not sell tobacco products because of the health issues smoking can cause and as a security measure, as one of the most common things stolen from stores are the tobacco products. We were worried about the loss of sales at first but so far it hasn't really affected our bottom line.”
Robert Hurst Owner, Willey's Store
Greensboro -
“I didn’t personally support selling cigarettes when I purchased the market, but it was a business decision to keep them on the shelves. Our clientele are health conscious, for the most part, so a lot of cigarette inventory expired. Ultimately, the store phased out cigarette sales.”
Lorraine Neuhaus Owner, Winhall Market
Winhall
TOBACCO RETAILERS BY THE NUMBERS
Flavored tobacco products are accessible and affordable for youth according to the 2018 Counter Tools Store Audit Report. These products are often sold in close proximity to schools in Vermont, with 29% of schools being within 1,000 feet of a tobacco retailer. This is troubling as youth are more likely to start smoking when there are more tobacco retailers in a given area.
49%
of Vermont tobacco retail stores offer tobacco product price promotions.
86%
of Vermont tobacco retail stores sell flavored tobacco products.
40%
of tobacco retail stores in Vermont sell e-cigarettes.
