As the global crackdown on vaping products continues, the attorney general of Washington, D.C., announced that convenience-store chain 7-Eleven will pay $1.2 million over allegations that it violated the District's ban on selling vapes near schools. 

"Selling vapes and e-cigarettes near schools is illegal because, particularly for young people, these nicotine products are addictive and unhealthy," Brian Schwalb, D.C.'s attorney general, said in a statement. "7-Eleven's illegal sales threatened to reverse the progress we've made reducing tobacco use among youth." 

What's happening?

In October 2022, the nation's capital instituted a ban prohibiting the sale of vape products within a quarter mile of middle schools and high schools, according to WTOP. Schwalb's office accused 7-Eleven of violating the ban by illegally selling thousands of vapes and e-cigarettes. 

Of the dozens of 7-Eleven locations within Washington, D.C., the ban applied to 16 stores located within a quarter mile of schools, according to the A.G.'s announcement. Despite 7-Eleven having notified all of these locations about the new law, "all sixteen stores near DC middle and high schools continued to sell electronic smoking devices after the ban took effect."

"In total, the stores received for sale, offered for sale, or sold more than 7,500 devices in violation of DC law," the attorney general's office said. Of the 16 locations, 10 were owned by 7-Eleven and six by franchisees. 

In addition to paying over $1 million in fines, the settlement agreement requires annual staff training about the ban. Further, if any of the franchisee-owned locations rack up four violations over a two-year period, 7-Eleven will be required to rescind the store's franchise license, per the attorney general's press release.  

Why do bans on vaping products matter?

As their popularity has surged, awareness of the negative impacts that vaping devices have on human health and the environment has also increased. 

"There are no safe tobacco products, including e-cigarettes," the CDC warned on its website. "E-cigarettes should not be used by youth, young adults, or women who are pregnant." 

In addition to nicotine-containing vape products, vapes laced with illicit drugs have also become a growing concern.

In Singapore, officials have sounded the alarm over vape products containing the anesthetic etomidate, which a 2024 study described as "an ultrashort-acting non-barbiturate sedative." 

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Similarly, in the U.K., parents and public officials have expressed dismay over the rise of vape products containing synthetic cannabinoids known as "spice," which have been known to cause serious health problems and severe withdrawal symptoms.

Further, researchers have found that the manufacture of vape products and the waste they leave behind when discarded pose a serious threat to the environment. Vape devices often contain dangerous heavy metals like lead and mercury as well as carcinogenic flame-retardant chemicals, which can leach into the soil and water supplies when improperly disposed of, according to a 2023 study. 

What's being done about vapes?

In response, a growing number of nations and local municipalities around the world have instituted significant restrictions on the sale of vape products. These actions range from Washington, D.C.'s ban on sales near schools to the U.K.'s crackdown on single-use vapes to Singapore's law forbidding all vape products outright. 

Despite these measures, vape products continue to be widely used, particularly among young people. However, continuing to spread awareness about the risk vapes pose to human health and the environment can help individuals make more responsible choices.

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