Guam Sets February Hearing on Bill to Ban Flavored Vape Sales
Matthew Ma
A bill seeking to prohibit the sale of flavored vaping products in Guam now has a February 2 hearing scheduled after the original hearing was postponed.
Senator Tom Fisher introduced Bill 50-37 which would ban vape liquids with fruity and dessert flavors. The initial January 4 public hearing got delayed after preceding testimony ran nearly 6 hours.
On January 4, a hearing on the vaping flavor ban bill was set to begin at 1:30 PM. But testimony on a prior bill continued over 5 hours longer than expected.
The flavored vape ban hearing got pushed back to 7 PM as a result. While supporters and opponents waited in the legislature lobby into the afternoon, many eventually left by the new 7 PM start time.
Just after 7 PM, Senator Fisher announced he would withdraw the bill and reintroduce it the next day with revisions recommended by the American Cancer Society. The late hour left few observers remaining to witness the withdrawal.
Senator Fisher withdrew the original bill at 5:31 PM on January 4. But the very next morning at 11:46 AM, he introduced a revised version as Bill 229-37.
The new legislation incorporates enhancements suggested by the American Cancer Society. This allowed the ban's supporters to strengthen the bill's language.
However, Fisher asserts the January 4 hearing delay and withdrawal occurred without notifying his office or the gathered public. He contended the committee's actions represented incompetence and mistruths.
Nonetheless, the flavor ban now moves forward with a February 2 hearing for public testimony.
After revising the legislation based on stakeholder input, Senator Fisher succeeded in quickly scheduling a new public hearing.
The Guam legislature's committee will take testimony on the flavored vape ban bill starting at 9 AM on February 2. This hearing replaces the missed January 4 date.
Both supporters and opponents are encouraged to participate and make their voices heard. The hearing will occur at the Guam Congress Building.
Senator Fisher continues advocating strongly for a prohibition on flavored vape sales in Guam. The bill aims to reduce youth vaping rates.
After the missed January hearing, Fisher wants to finalize public input and committee action on the revised ban bill this February. He urges robust public engagement from interested parties on both sides of the issue.
If ultimately passed by the legislature and signed into law, Guam would join a growing list of jurisdictions restricting or banning the sale of flavored nicotine vaping products. More states and cities enacted bans throughout 2022.