Vape, tobacco product advertising banned near churches, schools in Texas

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FILE - Vaping appears to have replaced cigarettes as the primary nicotine delivery device for teens. (Diedra Laird/Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

AUSTIN - A bill limiting where tobacco and vape products can be advertised in Texas has been signed into law.

SB 1316, authored by Sen. Molly Cook (D-Houston), prohibits e-cigarettes and other related products from being advertised near churches and schools. The bill was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday.

Tobacco Advertising Restriction

According to the bill’s text, signs advertising cigarettes, e-cigarettes or tobacco products can no longer be advertised within 1,000 feet of churches or schools in the state of Texas. 

The bill’s text says it does not apply to signs between 1,000 and 500 feet from schools or churches that have stood since Sept. 1, 1997.

The law goes into effect on Sept. 1, 2025.

To read the full text of the bill, click here.

Protecting Children from Vape Ads

What's next:

SB 1316 is not the only bill introduced by Cook to limit e-cigarette advertising. SB 1313, regulating the images, characters and logos that can be used to advertise nicotine products, was sent to the local and consent calendar by the House on Wednesday.

SB 1313, a more overt attempt to protect minors from nicotine advertisement influence, would prevent images like cartoons, celebrities and other symbols that appeal to children from being used to promote e-cigarettes and similar products. 

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If signed into law, SB 1313 would also take effect on Sept. 1.

To read the full text of the bill, click here.

More than 5 million U.S. middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in 2019

Today, health and substance abuse professionals in Houston meeting for the Vaping Summit to find more ways to address the problem.

Nicotine Appealing to Children

Zyn pouches come under scrutiny

A new flavored nicotine product is going viral, but it is also coming under scrutiny. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is leading the charge in the potential crackdown of Zyn pouches. There have been some warning signs that its use is spreading to those under 17. Vaughan W. Rees, director of the Center for Global Tobacco Control at Harvard University, joins us with more.

Dig deeper:

Nicotine products that appeal to children by way of flavoring, advertisement and sale location have been under the legal magnifying glass in Texas for years.

Newer products, such as the popular Zyn brand and other flavored nicotine pouches, have yet to be included in the 89th session legislation regarding sales and advertisement to minors.

THC Ban Efforts

A widely encompassing bill heavily restricting THC passed the House Wednesday night. SB 3 aims to prevent the sale and consumption of products containing natural and semi-synthetic THC (the active chemical compound in marijuana) within the state.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a vocal supporter of the proposed legislation, has called the THC currently being legally sold in Texas stores "poisonous," calling for strict regulations on what can be purchased and consumed, especially by children.

Critics of SB 3, some of whom spoke in opposition of the bill Wednesday night, say veterans suffering from PTSD and other ailments rely on the substance to manage pain.

If passed, SB 3 would take effect on Sept. 1, 2025, with specific provisions taking effect in 2027.

To read the full text of the bill, click here.