Report: Gov. Inslee looking to expand vaping restrictions in Washington
Dec 4, 2019, 8:22 AM | Updated: 9:15 am
A vaping ban in Washington could soon expand. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
(AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
As a 120-day ban on flavored vaping products in Washington winds to a close, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is reportedly looking into even more stringent regulations for what’s escalated into a statewide health crisis.
A case in favor of a Washington vaping ban (for now)
According to a report from The Seattle Times, Inslee will soon propose legislation to get rid of bulk sales and limit nicotine levels in non-cannabis vaping products. While Juul products typically contain 5 percent nicotine, the measure would cut that back to 2 percent (the same level as cigarettes). This is similar to methods that have seen success in the UK, where nicotine levels in vaping products are also restricted by government regulations.
The bill would also authorize the state Liquor and Cannabis Board to go after illegal products, and give it broad powers to enact emergency bans on specific chemicals it deems potentially harmful.
Gov. Inslee is expected to introduce the legislation at the start of the new legislative session in January.
The Times further reports that the Liquor and Cannabis Board will soon have a bill to address those same measures in THC products, which have long been thought to be one of the driving factors behind the recent rash of vaping-related illnesses.
Expert: Vape bans will escalate health crisis, not fix it
In November, the state Health Department also banned the presence of a chemical known as vitamin E acetate, after the CDC identified it as a potential culprit behind over 21,000 vaping-related illnesses in the U.S., as well as 42 deaths.
Washington state has seen 15 confirmed cases of its own since April. That had it enacting its temporary ban on all flavored vape products in early October, in an effort to discourage a younger demographic of smokers.
