A Virginia county is taking a stand against vape shops that are illegally selling products to minors.
Officials from Henrico County told WWBT that many vape shops sell to underage customers without checking IDs. They also market to those customers by promoting vapes and e-cigarettes with fruity flavors and other gimmicks that could appeal to minors.
"This is a health and security and a safety issue for our community, for our children, for our residents," Fairfield District Supervisor the Rev. Roscoe D. Cooper III told WWBT.
Vaping has exploded in popularity within the past decade and shows no signs of slowing down. Some models forecast that, by 2028, the industry could be worth $40 billion just in the United States.
And as the industry has grown, so have concerns about its safety and legality.
Just like other smoking products, vapes and e-cigarettes come with considerable health concerns. Not only can they increase the risk of cancer and lung disease, per the Environmental Health Sciences Center, but many disposable vapes expose users to dangerously high levels of metals, such as lead, nickel, and antimony.
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These products also pose risks to the health of our environment. Because disposable vapes are designed to be quickly used and thrown out, they contribute greatly to the amount of plastic waste and litter generated across our planet. And the batteries, screens, and other electronics that may be contained within them add to the growing threat of e-waste.
Add in the number of unauthorized vape products that flood the market, and agencies nationwide are scrambling to find ways to slow their spread. The United States Postal Service, for example, recently announced it will no longer carry shipments from vape distributors who have been found to violate federal or local regulations.
In Henrico County, officials passed a law that required vape shops to be located a certain distance from churches, schools, and daycares, and for them to obtain a provisional use permit. But Cooper told WWBT that stores have found ways around that permitting law by instead registering as a tobacco or convenience store, while in reality only selling vape products.
"Since 2024 to now, we've had not one come before us, but there have been a plethora of vape shops opening, so much so that my community specifically is being proliferated with them," Cooper said.
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