Clermont police in Florida have cracked down on local smoke shops accused of selling banned vape products, seizing hundreds of items in a sweeping operation aimed at curbing youth vaping.
The crackdown came at the end of September as a response to concerns about rising e-cigarette and vape use among minors, as well as illegal sales to young people.
It follows a single-use vape restriction announcement in the state, after the CDC's research indicated in 2024 that middle and high school students account for 1.6 million of all active vape users.
"We are dedicated to ensuring the safety, health, and well-being of our community's youth," Clermont Police Department Chief John Graczyk told WFTV.
It's not just legal concerns behind this crackdown. The vaping industry poses a growing threat to both public health and the environment, especially among young people.
Vaping has been linked to respiratory issues, nicotine addiction, and cardiovascular problems, with teenagers particularly vulnerable to long-term health risks due to their developing brains and lungs.
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At the same time, an influx of disposable vapes across the world has fueled single-use plastic and electronic waste, with millions of devices ending up in landfills each week. These products contain toxic chemicals and lithium batteries that can leak into soil and waterways or even spark fires in waste facilities.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism found that out of 2,700 15- to 24-year-olds, over half use disposable devices that they discard with regular waste. Indeed, this contributes to the 150 million disposable devices discarded annually in the United States alone.
Enforcement in the United States is growing. In April 2024, the FDA and the U.S. Department of Justice carried out seizures, confiscating more than 45,000 unauthorized e-cigarette products. In September of this year, the FDA announced it had intercepted 6 million unauthorized e-cigarette devices from entering the United States.
Around the world, countries are banning disposable vape products. In June, the U.K. banned single-use disposable vapes, and other countries in the EU are following suit.
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Wildfires 😷 Over 950 vapes were seized in the Clermont crackdown, and with the FDA continuing to enforce regulations, more disposable vapes could be removed from the market.
Vaping enforcement action is likely to mitigate the enormous environmental implications that single-use plastic vapes pose for landfills and pollution each year.
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