Disposable Vapes Are Illegal so Why are They So Easy to Buy?

 

Vaping has become one of the most popular forms of substance use among young people despite growing evidence of its health risks and harms. According to CDC data on youth tobacco use, it is estimated that 16.5% of high school students use some kind of nicotine product and 14% vape.

Disposable, flavored vapes are not supposed to be sold in our country. A 2023 article in NPR Health researched why illegal products are still widely available both online and in stores and found that part of the challenge stems from how rapidly the market has grown. Since 2020, the number of different vaping devices for sale in the U.S. has exploded, driven by waves of disposable vape models from China. Nearly all of the world’s e-cigarettes – 90% - come from factories in China, but poor diplomatic relations make it hard to stop the influx.

The Food and Drug Administration began to crack down on vaping in 2020, requiring that e-cigarettes have regulatory approval in order to sell.  To date, the agency has only authorized 23 specific e-cig products – all tobacco-flavored alternatives to cigarettes and targeted to adults. Yet illegal products – especially disposable and flavored vapes that are popular with youth and young adults – continue to be sold both online and in stores.

According to Kristy Marynak, a senior scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, numbers over three years have increased by 46% to about 260 brands, each of which market thousands of products. By law, each of these products should apply for and receive approval from the FDA before being sold, but the complexity of the industry makes this difficult to monitor – leaving the door open for brands to continue to market highly addictive and heavily flavored vaping products.

Many anti-smoking advocates are pushing for inspection of local retailers, along with hefty fines/punishments for violations. Inspectors already monitor retail locations for underage sales - crack downs on sales of illegal vapes should follow suit.

Often youth mistakenly believe that vapes are harmless, like inhaling fruit-flavored water vapor. Truth is that vape aerosol is NOT harmless water vapor – it contains dangerous chemicals. Teens who vape could be inhaling seriously addictive levels of nicotine that change the way the brain works and put them at risk for many physical and psychological consequences.

Communities need to be educated and aware. We want to do all we can to protect our children from the negative effects vaping can have on a young person’s developing brain. Click on the easy links below to find updated information and a free vaping guide to help parents and youth learn the facts to make informed decisions about vaping:

https://therealcost.betobaccofree.hhs.gov

https://drugfree.org/drugs/vaping/