Senate committee moves to restrict e-cigarette marketing to minors
SB 355 amendments target cartoon characters, celebrity images on vaping products
TOPEKA — The Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs recommended passage Friday of an amended SB 355 that would prohibit the marketing of e-cigarettes to minors using cartoon-like characters, celebrity images, toy-like trademarks or designs that disguise a product as something other than an electronic cigarette.
The amendment would also ban electronic cigarettes with entertainment features such as games, music playback or video displays. The bill expands existing Kansas tobacco law, which already prohibits the sale of cigarettes and e-cigarettes to anyone under 21.
Youth vaping remains a significant public health concern nationally. Federal data show about 1.63 million middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in 2024, and more than half of daily teen vapers reported being unable to quit. The bipartisan nature of youth-health legislation makes this bill one of the more likely measures to clear both chambers without significant partisan friction — a rarity in a Statehouse otherwise defined by ideological battles.
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