In Springfield, Illinois, two newly passed laws by the state legislature will be enforced:
1) Require “electronic cigarette cartridges and liquids sold and marketed for the refilling of e-cigarette cartridges may be sold only in special packaging.”
2) E-cigarettes and vapor products must be kept behind store counters in an age-restricted area or in a sealed display case.
On January 1, 2015, all companies that create e-liquid are required to pack the products in child-proof bottles – something that a lot of e-liquid manufacturers have already done way before – and the products themselves have to be stored out of the reach of consumers in a bid to discourage teens from buying e-liquids.
The child-proof caps on e-liquid bottles are similar on medication bottles. In order to ensure that the products are not tampered with, some manufacturers also began sealing the bottles. The new laws, which are part of the revised Illinois Poison Prevention Packaging Act, were passed in August with the specific aim to minimize the instance of children accidentally ingesting e-liquid.
In the US where vaping has surpassed traditional cigarette smoking in popularity among teens, stricter laws are being imposed to stop minors from accessing such products. Illinois is one of the latest states, along with Texas, Washington and San Francisco, to tighten its hold on electronic cigarette distribution.
Electronic cigarettes are meant to help smokers quit the habit for good. However, these devices have started luring kids into vaping. As such, local authorities across different states started passing laws to regulate how electronic cigarettes and its accompanying products are being marketed, packaged and sold in the market.
The device works by charging a couple of coils embedded with rolled cotton. The cotton is then saturated with a liquid that contain food flavoring, glycerin and nicotine. Once the coils are heated, they produce inhalable vapor through its atomizer. The device is used the same way as conventional cigarette smoking but seemingly without all the toxic chemicals found in tobacco smoke.
While vape companies are marketing these devices as “safer alternative” to tobacco smoking, health experts are divided over it. Some claims that second hand smoke from vape products may have hidden dangers to the health. But the lack of information regarding the dangers, risks and benefits of vaping led to authorities scrambling for prohibition of the products.
While some studies support the claims of vape companies, there are others that say electronic cigarette could cause certain diseases. Major groups, including the American Lung Association and the World Health Organization, are calling for the regulation of electronic cigarette for public safety. A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control or CDC note that electronic devices are potentially creating a new generation of nicotine addicts, it also conditions the mind of the youth that smoking is normal.
Despite the many calls for regulation from the public, the Food and Drug Administration has yet to set down national guidelines on packaging and selling of these devices. It’s expected that the agency will announce national laws that restrict these devices in April.