COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine wants to ban flavored vapor liquids used by the e-cigarette industry. He calls it a threat to Ohio’s youth.
DeWine says according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Youth Survey for Tobacco-Free Kids, there's been a 135% increase in vaping by high school students in just the past two years.
“Nicotine is extremely addictive," said DeWine. "These companies have figured this out. They use flavors. They dress it up so it looks pretty, the little cartridge, it can be hidden. In that one cartridge, there's more nicotine than in an entire pack of cigarettes.”
But, as governor, DeWine doesn’t have the authority to ban the products. So, he’s asking the General Assembly to do it.
There are two proposals in the House of Representatives to ban and restrict the sale of vaping products in Ohio:
- House Bill 346 would prohibit the sale of flavored electronic smoking devices and flavored vapor products in Ohio.
- House Bill 347 would put restrictions on retailers, prohibiting products from being openly displayed and banning anyone under 21 from entering a vaping establishment.
But, the vaping industry is pushing back. Its supporters say flavored e-cigarettes are designed to help adult smokers break the smoking habit. A spokesman says kids shouldn’t be vaping anything, which is the stance he says the Ohio Vapor Trade Association has taken from the beginning.