Will this step by the #1 flavored e-cigarette company, Juul, have an impact? Beloved kid flavors will be brought back to market when a vigorous id system is in place at  point of sale. That regulation will target age, but will it ultimately make a dent in sales to minors if those flavors are reintroduced?

Gloucester adopted the ban on sale of flavored e-cigarettes to minors in May 2018. Middle and high school kids find them. They pool money and buy from older friends and contacts. Some of the sellers are upcharging and making money. One can smell the sweet stench in stadium stands and public bathrooms across the country. 2018 slang is ‘get rips’, though that shelf life is probably dated as I write this post.  Beyond the significant and scary health consequences, building maintenance takes a hit. These products are wreaking havoc on facilities in public buildings (ask your schools) – pods are a new winner topping any “what not to flush down toilet” lists.

Juul’s annoucement covered in today’s news   https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/13/health/juul-ecigarettes-vaping-teenagers.html

“WASHINGTON — Facing mounting government pressure and a public backlash over the epidemic of teenage vaping, Juul Labs announced on Tuesday that it would stop selling most of its flavored e-cigarette pods in retail stores and would discontinue its social media promotions. The decision by the San Francisco-based company, which has more than 70 percent of the e-cigarette market share in the United States, was made as the Food and Drug Administration moved forward with a plan to ban sales of flavored e-cigarettes in convenience stores and gas stations. The agency was expected to announce its formal plan, which also included stepping up the requirements for age verification of online sales of flavored e-cigarette products, later this week.

In recent months, the F.D.A. has mounted an increasingly aggressive campaign against the major manufacturers of vaping products that appeal to youths, focusing particularly on Juul. The company’s sleek product resembles a flash-drive and has been sold in flavors like creme and mango, leading public health officials to criticize the company and others for appearing to market directly to teenagers who are especially vulnerable to nicotine addiction.”

The first time I read about the surge at schools was in an Oct 2017  Gillnetter article by graduate Caroline Enos. Here’s a link to a follow up she wrote explaining the ban (May 2018):

” As of May 1st, 2018, the sale of all flavored tobacco products- excluding menthol and mint- is banned in any Gloucester store that does not exclusively sell tobacco or smoking products. It was important that the flavor ban was passed because the use of flavored tobacco products is such a prominent issue at GHS,” said Healthy Gloucester Collaborative member Rosie Favazza, who is a part of the Collaborative’s Gloucester Youth Council and a senior at GHS. “Not only are students smoking e-cigarettes in the bathrooms, but also in the halls and in class when the teacher isn’t looking.” Gloucester joins 101 other Massachusetts cities and towns who have already adopted the ban, which also states that any person under 21 cannot enter the store even if with someone over the age limit.”