Senate Bill 512 would prohibit any vape adverts considered appealing to adolescents, whilst also requiring vape shops to verify that any customers are 21-years or above. Moreover, the bill would forbid vape retailers to offer coupons on vape products within their store.
An article on ABC quoted Bill Sponsor Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) as saying that this measure could stop teens from getting sick or even die from using the products. “This legislation went through a lot of discussion to make sure this is as strong of a possible bill to achieve the outcomes in a way that is going to protect our youth,” said Morgan. “And also make sure that it is one that is not going to unfairly impact existing industries.”
And while of course everyone is in agreement that teens should not be vaping and that the products should only used by smokers seeking to quit smoking or reduce harm, saying that vaping products could make anyone sick or lead to death, is a twisted misinterpretation of reality.
Infact, in line with previous studies and arguments by public health experts, a recent article published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, found that if vaping products had never come to exist, those teens who currently use the products, would be smoking instead.
An increase in vaping equates to a decrease in smoking
The study titled, “High school seniors who used e-cigarettes may have otherwise been cigarette smokers: Evidence from Monitoring the Future (United States, 2009-2018),” aimed to determine whether young adults who vaped between 2014 and 2018 would, would have become smokers in the absence of e-cigarettes.
On the contrary of a gateway effect, the study authors found that actually the youth who do vape tend to be those who would have been smokers if vapes never came into existence. “[The youth] who had a low propensity to smoke after e-cigarettes were available were exceedingly unlikely to use e-cigarettes,” reported the researchers
Meanwhile, Bill 512 has passed out of the House on a partisan 107-7 vote, and will be now handed over to the Senate for approval and then to the Governor’s desk.
