New Jersey, New York, Washington state, Michigan. States that have banned flavoured e-juice despite protests and warnings from health experts.
Bans on vejp products are spreading rapidly across the US. Although Donald Trump has chosen to ban flavours only in small pod systems several states are choosing to go further.
Some states, such as Massachusetts, banned all products in the e-cigarette category early on. Others, such as New Jersey and Washington state, have banned flavourings in all e-juice, not just in small closed systems, which is part of the federal legislation.
The states have ample opportunity to go their own way in relation to the White House. But this is not without protest. Hundreds of former smokers, now e-cigarette users, have testified before their respective policymakers to convince them not to pass laws that effectively bankrupt vejp shops.
"All the testimonials from people who quit smoking with the help of e-cigarettes are just swept away. As if their lives don't matter. I wonder how our politicians sleep at night" says YouTuber and 1TP8Shop owner Jay Haze in a comment to the state New Jersey's new laws effectively ban the sale of flavoured e-juice in the state's 250 vejpshops.
He also points out that the flavour bans hit employees at all vejp shops in the state of New Jersey hard.
"It doesn't just affect vejpers who will no longer have a legitimate vejoshop to go to for help. It also affects those who lose their jobs because of all the closures. We're talking about nearly 1,500 people who will be out of work in New Jersey," said Mr Perez. Jai Haze.
Changed the justification over time
Already last autumn, the states make use of quickly written laws to prevent the spread of electronic cigarettes. The motivation was, initially, the illnesses and deaths caused by was connected to vejpning. When it turned out that the lung damage was rather due to illegal products containing cannabis and the harmful substance e-acetate, several politicians chose to justify the new legislation with the increasing use among young people. The recent debate is contradictory, according to Jai Haze.
"New Jersey recently passed laws forcing vejpshoppers and others who sell e-cigarettes to introduce a 21-year age limit and electronic verification of identity at purchase. At the same time, high taxes were imposed on e-juice. One wonders why, in the next breath, they pass laws that effectively remove the products from the market."
In the example of New Jersey, analogue cigarettes have also been more strictly regulated. But they can still be sold. In addition, the authorities chose to exempt menthol cigarettes from the ban.
"They are going after the healthier alternative more than the real health hazard: cigarettes. Smoking won't be a problem in New Jersey, but vejpa will be much more difficult. Think about that logic" says Jai Haze.
Criticism from health experts and authorities
According to studies compiled by US and UK authorities, e-cigarettes are a much smaller threat to human health. harmful alternative compared to cigarettes. Research also shows that the products are mostly used by smokers and ex-smokers.
In the UK, vejpning is used as a consumer product and is recognised by the Department of Health as a product with great potential to significantly reduce the harm caused by smoking in the country. Electronic cigarettes are seen as an alternative, alongside treatment and other medical products.
"The strength of e-cigarettes is that they are a pure consumer product. Smokers find their own variant and use it to quit smoking. This means that the method has great potential to promote public health. It would be tragic if smokers didn't have that opportunity" said Mr Perez. John Newton, Professor of Health Sciences and Head of Public Health at the UK Public Health Agency, commenting on the actions of the US authorities on vejp issues in the autumn.
States that have banned or plan to ban flavoured vejp products:
New Jersey - prohibition of flavoured products
Washington state- prohibition of flavoured products
Massachusetts - Temporary ban - closed
Bans stopped by courts.
New York - ban - temporarily suspended
Michigan - ban - temporarily suspended
Planned bans:
New Hampshire - proposal to ban flavoured products
Colorado - proposal against flavoured e-juices
California - proposal against flavoured e-juices
The list was updated on 16 January 2020
