“It was this very black market that caused the outbreak of lung injuries we saw over the summer. Most of those injured lived in states without legal marijuana or were not of age to legally purchase it so they relied on the black market which has zero quality control and no incentive to verify customers’ age. Instead of recognizing this outbreak as a failure of prohibition, activists used the outbreak and public confusion around it, to compel state legislatures to enact bans on nicotine e-cigarettes; products that had nothing to do with it. Restrictions on nicotine e-cigarettes that ban certain devices, nicotine strengths, or flavors will do nothing to prevent another outbreak. First, there is no youth vaping epidemic. Despite the headlines, the vast majority of youth who report using e-cigarettes are not using them habitually. A flavor ban will also fail to achieve this goal because flavors are not the reason youth vape. According to the CDC, the number one reason youth say they vape is curiosity. Though we may not know the exact amount of risk e-cigarettes pose in the long-term, we know that this is far lower than with combustible tobacco. We also know that e-cigarettes are an effective smoking cessation option, with trials showing they are at least twice as effective as nicotine replacement therapy. Banning e-cigarette flavors won’t stop youth vaping, but will put at risk the more than 250,000 Maryland adults who rely-on e-cigarettes to stay smoke free.”
ARTICLE LINK:
Michelle Minton Testimony on Flavored Tobacco Products
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