What's happening
This bill requires cigarette and electronic cigarette packaging in New York to list all ingredients, health risks, and prohibits marketing designs on e-cigarette packages.
Why it matters
Requires full transparency of ingredients. Both cigarette and e-cigarette packaging must list all ingredients, including nicotine, which could help consumers make more informed decisions and allow those with allergies or sensitivities to better assess risk.
Mandates explicit health risk disclosures. Packages must feature detailed warnings not just about general health dangers, but also specific side effects and long-term complications—potentially raising awareness about lesser-known risks of tobacco and vaping products.
Bans marketing designs on e-cigarette packaging. By prohibiting any marketing language or enticing visual designs, the bill aims to reduce the appeal of e-cigarettes, especially to youth and non-smokers, making packaging strictly informational.
Promotes consistent, clear warnings. Standardizing warning formats (font size, color contrast) ensures that health information is visible and not easily overlooked, potentially increasing the impact of the warnings across all tobacco and vaping products.
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Who cares
Cigarette manufacturers and distributors
The bill would require cigarette packages to list all ingredients, including nicotine, and describe medical side effects and potential long-term complications from cigarette use.
Electronic cigarette manufacturers and sellers
The bill would require warning labels, ingredient lists and health-risk disclosures on electronic cigarette packages and prohibit marketing language or designs, allowing only the product name and required warnings.
Cigarette and electronic cigarette users
The bill would require packaging to provide clear, conspicuous information about product ingredients and health dangers in contrasting type of at least eight points.
Headline styles
Require Health Warnings on Tobacco
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 8
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to consumer protection
- Referred to consumer protection
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6074
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 16, 2019
Introduced by Sen. BROOKS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to requiring tobacco products to contain certain items on their packaging
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 399 of the general business law, as added by chapter 680 of the laws of 1967, is amended to read as follows:
1. (a) On each package of cigarettes sold or delivered by a manufacturer or distributor within this state after June first, nineteen hundred sixty-six, there shall be printed thereon or attached thereto a warning of the consequences of excessive smoking. Such warning shall be in letters not less than eight point type and in a color in contrast with the package containing the cigarettes, and shall contain the following statement:
WARNING
"Excessive use is dangerous to health"
(b) Each package of cigarettes shall clearly and conspicuously include the following in the same manner as described in paragraph (a) of this subdivision:
(i) a full list of ingredients contained in the product, including, but not limited to, nicotine; and
(ii) the dangers presented by cigarettes to human health, including, but not limited to, a list of medical side effects caused by the use of cigarettes and any potential long-term medical complications that can arise from the use of cigarettes.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11787-01-9
S. 6074 2
§ 2. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 398-f to read as follows:
§ 398-f. Electronic cigarette package labeling. 1. Every package containing an electronic cigarette, as defined in subdivision thirteen of section thirteen hundred ninety-nine-aa of the public health law, sold, offered for sale, or otherwise distributed within the state, shall have printed thereon or attached thereto a warning label. Such warning shall be in letters not less than eight point type and in a color in contrast with the package containing the electronic cigarette, and shall contain the following statement:
WARNING
"Excessive use is dangerous to health"
2. Each package containing an electronic cigarette or cigarettes shall clearly and conspicuously include the following in the same manner as described in subdivision one of this section:
(a) a full list of ingredients contained in the product, including, but not limited to, nicotine; and
(b) the dangers presented by electronic cigarettes to human health, including, but not limited to, a list of medical side effects caused by the use of electronic cigarettes and any potential long-term medical complications that can arise from the use of electronic cigarettes.
3. Any language or design present on the packaging of electronic cigarettes for the purpose of marketing or enticing potential customers to buy such product shall be prohibited. The packaging shall contain only the name of the product and the warnings required pursuant to this section.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the general business law, in relation to requiring tobacco products to contain certain items on their packaging
Purpose
Requires health effect warnings and labels to be clearly marked on pack- aging of cigarettes and electronic cigarettes.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. amends subdivision 1 of section 399 of the General Business Law by requiring all cigarette packaging to include a full list of ingredients including nicotine, the dangers they present to human health, and long-term medical complications that can arise from the use of cigarettes.
Section 2. amends the General Business Law by adding a new section 398-f to require labelling on packages of electronic cigarettes to include a warning label stating, "Excessive use is dangerous to health" and a full list of ingredients and medical side effects caused by long-term use. Prevents any language or design on packaging to entice customers to buy such product, and only allows the name and product warnings to be pres- ent.
Section 3. is the enacting clause.
Justification
Clear labelling and warnings on cigarettes and vaping products are an important means to inform the public of their contents. Often companies can hide behind deceptive labelling and packaging that targets young people and gives no indication of the myriad health risks that come with the use of their products.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.