LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Tobacco sales would be illegal in Nevada beginning Jan. 1, 2030, under provisions of a bill at the Nevada Legislature.
The state currently earns $150 to $160 million each year from taxes on cigarettes — the sixth-largest contributor to the state general fund — about 4% in a 2019 study. It seems unlikely to succeed in a state driven by tourism and the culture of casinos that drive the state’s economy.
Assembly Bill 294 (AB294) would take earlier steps, banning flavored tobacco products and shutting down smoking for people just turning 21 beginning on Jan. 1, 2024. Officially, anyone born after Dec. 31, 2002, would be prohibited from buying tobacco.
The bill is sponsored by Assemblyman David Orentlicher (D-Clark County), the director of the UNLV Health Law Program. There are currently no cosponsors listed.
AB294 slowly bans licenses for cigarette machines until the total ban in 2030. It also includes requirements for health insurers to cover programs for “services for ceasing the use of tobacco.”