A local vaporizer shop says they’re concerned about new laws surrounding e-cigarettes restricting choices for consumers.
The new federal laws, which were approved on Wednesday, see new restrictions on the products coming. These include no longer being allowed to market vape and e-juice products that could be seen as appealing to youth, including flavours that are dessert, confectionery or similar soft and energy drinks. It also restricts lifestyle advertising (such as saying vapes are a healthy alternative to smoking,) sponsorships and celebrity endorsements.
Ejuice Buyer Chris Franks says he agrees that labeling and packaging should not be done up in a way that appeals to kids. However, he says that he’s concerned about restricting e-cigarette flavours to adults, especially those who may be using the products in an attempt to quit smoking.
“I mean, if these people are using something they enjoy to stay away from cigarettes, or get off nicotine entirely, I think if you take away a lot of these flavours, these people are going to go back to smoking conventional cigarettes.”
Other new parts of the law ban the sale or gifting of e-cigarette products to anyone under 18. Franks says 20 after 4 agrees with this as well, and is working in compliance with laws like these already.
“We just follow our own rules here that we have to follow now, with our moral compass. It says we’re not going to sell to anyone under 18, so we’ve been doing that as long as we’ve been selling e-juice.”
Vape retailers will have 180 days to make sure their business follows the new laws.