Hawaii to ban flavored disposable vape products

On April 15, after more than seven years of trying, the US state of Hawaii is on the verge of banning flavored disposable vape products.

But vape store operators say the ban will put hundreds of small retailers out of business.

House Bill 1570 would ban the sale of all flavored vaping products and impose fines on those who sell them.

Similar bills have been introduced over the years but have stalled.

Vape shop operators say it’s the furthest the proposal has gotten in the legislature.

We have hundreds of businesses that will be affected by this flavor ban. That’s thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in sales tax revenue. said Scott Rasak of Volcano Fine Electronic Cigarettes.

Some consumers say banning flavored vaping products won’t make her quit smoking and may force them to go back to smoking.

Waianae’s Kuuipo Gilman said: “If we were to get rid of it, I would definitely have another cigarette.

The ban is aimed at addressing underage vaping, which experts say is on the rise in Hawaii.

In Hawaii, about half of our high school students have tried e-cigarettes. About a third of middle school students said they had tried it. said Lola Irvin, administrator of the Division of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the state health agency.

E-cigarette products can only be sold to adults 21 and older, but the health department believes that underage children are easily available and flavored products are particularly attractive to young people.

Instead of banning them, the state should better enforce and limit sales to children and teens, retailers say.

But health leaders say that’s not enough.

We hope this won’t be an issue between income and children’s health. In Hawaii, we will take care of our children’s health first as our number one priority. Owen said.

The bill will now go to the House-Senate Conference Committee.