Why California Should Reconsider Its Ban on Flavored E-Cigarettes

The California e-cigarette ban needs to be reconsidered

The California e-cigarette ban needs to be reconsidered

California, especially the Bay Area, has historically been at the forefront of promoting harm-reduction strategies among residents who use drugs. However, when it comes to smokers, instead of making it easier for them to switch to safer alternatives to smoking cigarettes, California is doing just the opposite with a newly imposed ban on flavored e-cigarettes. The ban is detrimental to public health interests, and it is imperative that cities in California reconsider the ban on flavored e-cigarettes.

As recently as June 20th, San Francisco city supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance to amend the health code prohibiting tobacco retailers from selling flavored tobacco products, and despite the fact that e-cigarettes contain no tobacco, flavored nicotine e-cigs are included in the ban. Unlike combustible cigarettes, which produce tar and smoke, e-cigarettes release a vapor containing the nicotine in the liquid, which makes it a much safer nicotine-delivery alternative to regular cigarettes. Unfortunately, that hasn’t prevented legislators from classifying them as tobacco products and banning the sale of flavored vaping liquids containing nicotine.

Banning flavored e-cigarettes also implies removing an incentive for smokers to switch to e-cigarettes, which have been found to be 95% less harmful than traditional cigarettes. Not only does the California e-cigarette ban on flavored products reduce the motivation to switch, but according to Gregory Conley, the President of America’s Vaping Association, it also blatantly disregards the evidence that flavors help smokers quit by disconnecting them from the taste of tobacco.

Another reason for the ban is the misconception that flavored vaping liquids could entice teens to smoke. This fear is unfounded as there is no evidence to suggest that there is any correlation between the two. According to Carrie Wade, the Harm Reduction Policy Director of nonprofit R Street Institute, “rates of teen smoking are at an all-time low and have steadily declined from 15.8 percent in 2011 to 9.3 percent in 2015.”It is also important to note that it is illegal to sell e-cigarettes and other vaping products to minors and that vape shops, which are often independently owned, have a lot to lose if they don’t comply.

Taking into consideration that e-cigarettes are a much safer nicotine-delivery alternative to smoking and that flavored vaping liquids provide an additional incentive to smokers to switch, the Golden State needs to reconsider the California e-cigarette ban on flavored liquids, especially when there is no evidence of a gateway effect on teens and other non-smokers. Instead, it should differentiate e-cigarettes from other tobacco products and promote them as a harm-reduction method to encourage smokers to make the switch and quit smoking cigarettes.

What do you think about the California e-cigarette ban? Join the conversation by commenting below or tweet us @ILoveEcigs.

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