HB 1161, which would ban tobacco and nicotine products in any flavor other than tobacco received a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on Oct. 18, 2023. The committee agreed that the bill needed more work and no action was taken.

Even though the progress of HB 1161 is stalled, the proposal to ban safer nictoine products in flavors other than tobacco remains a threat.

PA Advocates are still encouraged to send a message to lawmakers urging them to reject HB 1161 or any other flavor ban legislation. Banning flavors in ALL tobacco and nicotine products risks sending people to illicit markets and making it more difficult for people to switch to smoke-free alternatives like vaping and nicotine pouches. Indeed, HB 1161 would ban products that FDA has already authorized under the appropriate for the protection of public health standard, even products that have received “modified risk orders” allowing them to be marketed as less harmful than smoking.