New Jersey may ban flavored vaping liquids

New Jersey could become the first state to prohibit sales of flavored vaping liquids, used in electronic cigarettes.

Assembly Health Committee Chairman Herb Conaway is a doctor and he’s concerned that flavored products might make smoking more attractive to young people. “This business of U.S. teens increasing their first use, increasing their experimentation, is what I am trying to deter with this legislation,” he said. 

Kristy Hartman owns a vape shop in Middlesex. She said most of her customers start vaping to quit smoking and a ban on flavored products could force her to close. “There are 350 vape shops in New Jersey that are in my same situation. That is quite a bit of revenue and jobs to be lost in New Jersey,” she said.

Justin McLeod works at Popie’s Vapor Lounge in Marlton. He said using favored electronic smoking products helped him kick the cigarette habit. “If you were to remove the option of flavors, I not only think it would drive business out of the state to either New York, Pennsylvania, or to Delaware or drive sales online, I think it would ultimately hurt a lot of people who have switched to vaping over traditional tobacco and it might drive some people back to that,” he said.

Vape store owners say state law already prohibits them from selling e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 19.