Some vaping flavors may soon go up in smoke.
City Councilman Mark Levine will introduce legislation to ban the sale of candy-flavored e-cigarettes, he told the Daily News, in an effort to curb its growing use by teens.
The ban would target nicotine liquids sold in flavors like mango and watermelon by popular companies like Juul, which markets them as “pods.” The amount of teenagers who vape has skyrocketed in the last year, according to reports.
“Use of e-cigarettes among teenagers is reaching epidemic proportions,” Levine, chair of the council’s health committee, said. “This has potentially lifelong health consequences— nicotine is highly addictive and a difficult habit to kick.”
Levine said flavored e-cigarettes were an easy entry point for young people.
“One of the tools that the industry has used to draw in young people is fruity and candyish flavors, like chocolate mint, blueberry, or cherry crush, that make it more enticing,” he said. “We have banned flavored tobacco in New York City precisely for this reason, and there’s no reason we shouldn’t ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes.”
Gov. Cuomo proposed in his budget raising the age to buy e-cigarettes to 21 — and giving his Health Department the authority to ban flavored nicotine statewide.
Levine said he thought any adult who was trying to quit smoking cigarettes by using e-cigarettes was moving in the right direction — and that his proposed ban was aimed at reducing the use by young people. But they don’t need fruity flavors, he said.
“Adults who are transitioning off cigarettes, should have this as an option — but it’s become something much more for young people who are becoming addicted. And it’s not because they’re transitioning off tobacco. It’s because it’s become a cool thing with cool flavors, and then they’re potentially stuck for life,” Levine said.
