Pennsylvania vape ban explained as new law limits sales to six companies
Pennsylvania's new vape law is coming into effect very soon and could see stores fined thousands if they're not selling only six companies' vape products.
It may not be the whole of the US, but given Pennsylvania has an estimated population of over 13 million, it's fair to say quite a few people will be impacted by the new laws.
On Monday (October 19), certain vape sales will be prohibited in the state under a new law, Pennsylvania Act 57.
But what does this mean for vapers?
Pennsylvania's new vape law and fines explained
The law establishes a new mandatory state registry for all electronic nicotine devices.
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So, any unlisted product will subsequently become officially illegal to sell.
If caught selling an unlisted product, stores could face fines of $1,500 for each item confiscated.
Fines reportedly begin at $500 per illegal vape item, increasing to $1,000 per day and per product alongside a license suspension should a store violate the law twice. A third time and stores could be hit with a fine of an eye-watering $1,500 per day, per product, license suspension and be instructed to spend the money to permanently get rid of any additional illegal product, The US Sun reports.
This means a large number of vapes will have to be gotten rid of by various stores, one owner indeed telling CBS News that as of tomorrow, they can expect to be left unable to sell as many as '95 percent' of their vape products.
But which six vape companies will be allowed to distribute?
Which vapes are still allowed to be sold in Pennsylvania
Blue Nine, Custom Technologies, Juul Labs, NJoy, R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co., and the Schwartz E-Liquid are the only vape companies allowed to distribute products under the new law, as per a report by The US Sun.
Essentially, vape products can only be sold in Pennsylvania if they have formal FDA marketing authorization or a pending Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA).
And as you can imagine, the new law hasn't gone down too well with some vape sellers.
Backlash against Pennsylvania's new vaping law
Gina Kipp, the owner of Cool Vapes off McKnight Road in Ross Township, noted her support for a ban in a bid to ensure children don't get their hands on vapes as easily.
However, the IT Manager at her store, Zach Scott, argued the 'main demographic' for their vapes has 'always been women aged 45 to 65'.
He continued: "We've always been on the top side of everything legal, and to us, I understand keeping it away from kids, but keeping it away from adults, I don't think, is the way to do that."
Scott continued: "Naked 100 is the only e-juice specific brand that I've seen that has made it to the approved list.
"Any of the disposables, like your Geek Vapes, your Razzes, your Lost Marys, all of that's going to be gone because of the definition of how they categorize what a vape product is."
However, the new law has been argued as being the only way to help regulate illegal vape products.
State Representative Jeanne McNeill said: "Right now, there is no clear way for states to determine which products are legally authorized by the FDA.
"This [law] closes that gap and brings accountability to a system that has been exploited for too long."
Topics: Vaping, Health, Pennsylvania
Poppy Bilderbeck