The executive order is designed to reduce vaping among teenagers
Colorado is reportedly the state with the highest percentage of teenage marijuana and nicotine vapers. The government is hoping to change this and, last Friday, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed an executive order that hopes to control vaping among teenagers. The governor also signed a proclamation that recognizes November as “Vape-Free November.”
According to the executive order, the minimum age for purchasing tobacco and e-cigarettes will now be 21; before, the legal age was only 18. Flavored tobacco and vaping products are now outlawed in the state and all retailers offering any tobacco, e-cigarette or vaping products must be licensed by the state. In addition, there will be an excise tax levied on all e-cigarettes, vaping devices and liquids.
According to CU School of Medicine associate professor, and physician at the Children’s Hospital Colorado, Amy Sass, “The aerosols in many of these electronic nicotine devices are equally harmful, both to the user and bystanders who are exposed to the vapors. These are pollutants and can contain harmful chemicals including carcinogens and heavy metals.”
The governor added, “I think it would be foolhardy and irresponsible if we didn’t address this … Like so many challenges we’re trying to address with a holistic approach, we need to educate family members, friends and make sure policy makers [sic] and the whole community understands what this means.”
“Vape-Free November” will be a designation meant to raise awareness of the dangers of vaping and hopes to control the practice by teenagers. Colorado is one of only nine states that have legalized recreational marijuana use and the state is determined to allow the industry to flourish normally while protecting the youth population.
