A few years ago, parents and teachers in Chicago were facing a new threat as e-cigarettes began showing up in classrooms and school lockers. While smoking cigarettes has thankfully become less popular among young people, fruity flavored “vapes” became the trendy new teenage accessory as they spread like wildfire throughout Illinois and the United States. Fighting back against the dangerous new epidemic of nicotine vape addiction, our elected officials banned flavored e-cigarettes, but a more dangerous product slipped through the cracks and is getting our kids hooked.
Disposable e-cigarettes made in China by companies such as Puff Bar and Elf Bar have sneaked around the law by exploiting a loophole in U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation. They’re sold in kid-friendly flavors at reasonable prices and can be found on store shelves in our community. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2.5 million middle and high school students reported using e-cigarettes last year. More than 50% of youth vapers reported using disposables, with Puff Bar owning almost 15% of the market as the top choice for teens. Some of these unscrupulous manufacturers have been caught loading their products with illegal levels of nicotine in the United Kingdom to make them even more addictive.
When you look at the cartoon character packaging and the flavors such as cherry pomegranate, kiwi passion guava and peach ice, you can see right away that manufacturers are marketing to young people. They’re even marketing them in disguises to look like sippy cups or even school supplies to escape detection from educators. How can this happen if flavored vapes are illegal?
