Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is speaking out against "smart vapes" that target children and pose major health and privacy risks.
What's happening?
Kobach released an official consumer alert directed to parents on the Kansas government website. The alert says smart vapes pair tech like Bluetooth, games, social media, and more with inhaling to "hook teens and conceal the true nature of the device from parents."
The alert points to rewards structures with more puffs leading to increased prizes. Both Kobach and workers at local vape shops were in agreement that the products were aimed straight at consumers under 21.
"I mean, this is really sinister," Kobach told KWCH in an interview.
The alert notes that over 90% of disposable vaping products come from China, and most are unregulated. That aspect adds even more risk to the equation, when you consider the device's tech and access when it connects to WiFi or Bluetooth.
Why are smart vapes a concerning product?
Experts fear that vapes of all types that are targeted at children could facilitate a new generation of nicotine addicts. Unregulated vapes pose serious health risks beyond that.
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The consumer alert pointed to a number of potential dangerous ingredients in them beyond nicotine. Specifically, carcinogens like lead and nickel and Vitamin E Acetate in THC and CBD vapes, which can damage the lungs.
That concern is backed by other anecdotal experiences like New Zealand teens being exposed to a dangerous sedative, and Belgian authorities finding opioids in 80% of refill capsules.
Kobach also expressed concerns about privacy risks, emphasizing that smart vapes might allow foreign entities to access personal information.
"On top of all of the health concerns, there's an equally large concern, perhaps, that China is going to gain access to a person's private information," Kobach concluded. "So these things are dangerous on multiple levels."
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Definitely 👍 There's also the environmental concerns of disposable vapes, which contribute to e-waste and plastic pollution, while releasing harmful substances such as toxic lithium battery fumes.
What's being done about smart vapes?
Considering youth are a frequent target of products like smart vapes, parents and schools have a large role to play in monitoring them. Schools have tried a variety of tactics to cut down on vape use, including education, enhanced enforcement, and devices that can detect the products.
A more aggressive move is outright bans on vapes, which Mexico and other regions have enacted. Busts of illegal shipments are another way to keep them off shelves or on the streets.
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