New Jersey, New York, Washington state, Michigan. States that have banned flavored e-juice despite protests and warnings from health experts.
The bans on vejp products are spreading rapidly across the US. Despite Donald Trump choosing to only ban flavors in small pod systems several states choose 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 flavorings in all e-juice, not just in small closed systems, which is part of the federal legislation.
States have ample opportunity to go their own way in relation to the White House. But this is not happening without protest. Hundreds of former smokers, now e-cigarette users, have testified before their respective policymakers to urge them not to push through laws that effectively bankrupt the vejpshoppers.
"All the testimonies of 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 vejpshop owner Jay Haze in a comment to the state New Jersey's new laws effectively ban the sale of flavored e-juice in the state's 250 vejpshops.
He also points out that the taste bans are hitting 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 roadside shop to go to for help. It also affects those who lose their jobs because of all the closures. That's close to 1500 people who will be out of work in New Jersey" says Jai Haze.
Changed the justification over time
Already last fall, the states make use of quickly written laws to prevent the spread of electronic cigarettes. The motive was, initially, the illnesses and deaths that was linked 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, says Jai Haze.
"New Jersey recently passed laws forcing vejpshoppes and others selling e-cigarettes to impose a 21-year age limit and electronic verification of identity upon purchase. At the same time, high taxes were imposed on e-juice. One might ask why, in the next breath, they are passing laws that effectively take the products off the market"
In the example of New Jersey, analog 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 harder after the healthier alternative than the real health hazard: the cigarettes. Smoking won't be a problem in New Jersey, but vejpa will be much harder. Think about that logic" says Jai Haze.
Criticism from health scientists and authorities
According to studies compiled by US and UK authorities, e-cigarettes are a significantly smaller harmful alternative compared to cigarettes. Research also shows that smokers and ex-smokers are the main users of these products.
In the UK, vejpning is used as a consumer product and is identified by the Department of Health as having 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 seek out their own version and use it to quit smoking. This means that the method has great potential to promote public health. It would be a tragedy if smokers did not have that opportunity" said 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 this fall.
States that have banned or plan to ban flavored vejp products:
New Jersey - ban on flavored products
Washington state- ban on flavored products
Massaschusetts - Temporary ban - closed
Bans stopped by courts.
New York - ban - temporarily stopped
Michigan ban - temporarily stopped
Planned bans:
New Hampshire - proposal to ban flavored products
Colorado - proposal against flavored e-juices
California proposal against flavored e-juices
The list was updated on 2020-01-16
