Washington preparing legislation to combat the vaping crisis

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A bill is being considered to place a permanent ban on vaping products

After the public health epidemic that several states went through in the last few months, government leaders have decided to place temporary bans on vaping products. Washington is one of those states and it has been in place for the last 120 days. Initially intended to be just a six-month moratorium, it is reaching its halfway point and now Washington Governor Jay Inslee, along with other authorities in the state, is getting ready for a more permanent response.

According to a report by the Seattle Times, the legislation that is currently in process will have some additional conditions on top of the current ban. Inslee will present a proposal that will also get rid of vaping products and that includes capping nicotine levels in non-cannabis vaping products. Another aspect is the regulatory rights that the legislation intends to grant to the Liquor and Cannabis Board in Washington, which will make it possible to seize illegal products and declare emergency bans in the state for chemicals or products that could be a potential threat to citizens’ wellbeing.

This effort represents the last push of the year that is made to favor this legislation that will allow regulations in the vaping industry. The percentage of nicotine in vapes will be restricted to the same amount that can be found in cigarettes, which is about 2%; vaping products that are currently popular come with a 5% content of nicotine. One of the other reasons, besides lung injuries with certain vaping products, is the fact that these vaping devices are gaining a lot of popularity among teens. About 20% of teens between 2016 and 2018 admitted to using vaping products, based on a Healthy Youth Survey.