Local governments in Ohio can no longer regulate tobacco in their communities.

Local governments in Ohio can no longer regulate tobacco in their communities after the Republican Legislature overrides Gov. DeWine’s veto of a budget measure that puts regulation instead in the hands of the state. The measure, vetoed in 2022 before reappearing in the state budget, says regulating tobacco and alternative nicotine products should be up to the state, not municipalities. It also prevents communities from voting to restrict things like flavored e-cigarettes and sales of flavored vaping products. The new law will take effect in roughly 90 days, though it’s not yet clear how that could affect local governments that have any stricter tobacco rules in place. Lawmakers passed the 2022 legislation days after Ohio’s capital city, Columbus, cleared its bans on the sale of flavored tobacco and menthol tobacco products, which would have been enacted in early 2024. Toledo and Beckley have similar bans. Anti-tobacco advocates, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and DeWine himself harshly criticized the override as a win for the tobacco industry, saying it enables addiction in children as tobacco and vaping products made with fruit or candy flavors becomes more popular and accessible to kids.