A new proposal in Texas, the United States, aims to ban counterfeit vapes to prevent them from attracting teenagers in the form of highlighters. USBs, etc. The initiator of the bill accused that most of such products came from China.
Key points:
- Texas has proposed a ban on the sale of counterfeit vapes: It intends to prohibit the sale of products that disguise vapes as highlighters, USBs, beverage cans, etc., to protect minors.
- The bill’s initiator emphasized that there is no need for disguise: Senator Perry believes that legitimate users do not need to hide products, and disguise only benefits teenagers in hiding.
- Call for a complete ban on the sale of vapes: Perry also plans to prohibit the sale, advertising and promotion of such Chinese-made vapes.
- Other states have precedents: Illinois has passed legislation to ban misleading advertisements, while New York and Michigan have proposals, but they have not been passed.
New Texas proposal to ban camouflaged e-cigarettes
According to News4San Antonio’s report on April 17th, the Texas legislature in the United States has proposed a new bill aimed at prohibiting the sale of vapes disguised as highlighters. USB storage drives, or even beverage cans. This bill was submitted by Senator Charles Perry and aims to crack down on these disguised vape products specifically targeted at minors.
An analysis of the 2024 bill by the Senate Research Center pointed out: “People who legally purchase vapes do not need to disguise the product as other items.”
Furthermore, Perry also hopes to ban the marketing, advertising, promotion and sale of these vapes from China.
Amy Cobb, a pediatrician from the University Health Center, pointed out that the popularity of fake vapes might prompt teenagers to continue using them.
- These vapes look like Tic Tac or lipstick, so teenagers are more likely to keep them out of the sight of their parents and teachers.
She believes that strengthened supervision can effectively limit the access channels of teenagers and make it more difficult for them to conceal their usage. We must protect our children, which requires the joint efforts of the government, the industry, as well as parents and teachers.
Texas is not the first state to attempt to impose such a ban. This year, Illinois has introduced laws prohibiting any vape advertising, promotion, or marketing activities that lead consumers to mistakenly believe that the item is something else. Similar measures were also proposed in New York and Michigan, but failed to pass.
