Montana government cracks down on flavored e-cigarettes

In the United States, Montana Governor Steve Bullock has introduced a bill to permanently end the sale of flavored e-cigarettes in the US state. This decision aims to curb the e-cigarette epidemic among young people, a prelude to an increase in nicotine addiction among younger generations.[1].

Montana is expected to become the fifth US state to ban the sale of all flavored e-cigarettes, joining Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and New York.

A nicotine epidemic among adolescents

In October, the governor had already passed a 120-day ban on the sale of vaping products, highlighting the disastrous health consequences of these products among adolescents. According to Steve Bullock, nearly 48,000 Montana teenagers aged 12 to 18 had already used vaping products, while the percentage of high school students regularly using e-cigarettes increased by 2,431 between 2017 and 2019. According to a 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey, 30,21 of teenagers in this age group now use e-cigarettes in Montana. Of these, 971 reported using a flavored product in the month preceding the survey, and 701 cited flavoring as a reason for their use.[2].

Maintaining Progress in Tobacco Control

Preventing a nicotine epidemic through new tobacco industry products is a key factor in the success of public health policies: in the United States, as elsewhere, the overwhelming majority of smokers began smoking before the age of 18, increasing levels of dependence on nicotine and tobacco industry products.

©Generation Without Tobacco

[1] Tobacco Free Kids, “Gov. Bullock's Action to End the Sale of Flavored E-Cigarettes Will Protect Montana Kids,” June 16, 2020.

https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/press-releases/2020_06_16_montana

[2] Food and Drug Administration, “Trump Administration Combating Epidemic of Youth E-Cigarette Use with Plan to Clear Market of Unauthorized, Non-Tobacco-Flavored E-Cigarette Products,” September 2019

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/trump-administration-combating-epidemic-youth-e-cigarette-use-plan-clear-market-unauthorized-non

©National Committee Against Smoking |