Little real effect: Utah store shelves are still lined with disposable vapes that should have been b

Recent findings from the National Youth Tobacco Survey show that disposable e-cigarettes remain the preferred product among middle and high school students. Over 1.2 million teenagers are using e-cigarettes, with some brands still popular among youth. While the FDA and CDC have praised the decline in usage rates among high school students, the situation is worsening for middle school students. It is very concerning to see younger children using these highly addictive and dangerous products.

Despite the ban on flavored e-cigarettes in 2020, some brands are still appearing on store shelves in Utah. These products are being shipped to the U.S. in ways that do not comply with the regulations and standards set by the FDA. Recently, Braden Ainsworth, manager of the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, stated that local health departments will intensify efforts to combat these illegal disposable e-cigarettes.

As a mother of teenagers, I appreciate the efforts of Utah lawmakers to step up, but we need to do more. I encourage our health and law enforcement agencies to work together to ensure that enforcement actions are taken to stop this national health threat to our youth and prevent these illegal products from falling into our children's hands.