One city lawmaker wants to ban the sale of all disposable e-cigarettes — a move she says will help stomp out underage vaping in the Big Apple.
Council member Julie Menin (D-Manhattan) will introduce a bill Thursday that would ban single-use vapes, which she said are the preferred option over refillable e-cigarettes for many underage nicotine users.
“We wouldn’t hand our children a pack of cigarettes, so why would we endanger their health and their future by exposing them to nicotine-filled disposable vapes?” Menin said.
“The data is clear.”
The move follows a 2020 ban on flavored vapes and e-liquids under under then-Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Menin said banning disposable e-cigs will finally close the loophole and stop the “flood of illegal flavored vapes” that can lead to more serious substance abuse, compromise brain development and cause respiratory issues.
If the bill passes, vendors who violate the ban would be slapped with a $1,000 fine for a first offense and up to $5,000 for third and subsequent violations.
Menin’s proposal comes just weeks after the city launched another lawsuit targeting Long Island-based Price Point Distributors Inc. who sell colorful candy-flavored vapes.
In July 2023, the Adams administration also filed a federal lawsuit against four major distributors, and in April 2024 announced a second lawsuit against 11 local wholesalers.
Both cases are still ongoing.
More than one in six New York high school students reported using e-cigarettes, 2019 city data revealed.
The National Youth Tobacco Survey said one in 10 US middle and high school students — or more than 2.5 million kids — used e-cigarettes in a 30-day sample period.
A survey conducted just one year later by the organization reported that flavored e-cigarettes remain the “most popular products” among teenagers.