Man arrested after authorities discover illegal Snapchat scheme targeted at minors — and it points to a larger issue

A Utah man faces "several charges" in relation to allegations he used Snapchat to sell e-cigarettes to minors, according to Salt Lake City's KSTU.

What's happening?

On Sept. 11, police in Washington County, Utah, arrested 27-year-old Curtis Bailee Proctor.

According to KSTU, Proctor repeatedly came to the attention of law enforcement regarding his alleged activities pertaining to nicotine vapes, also called e-cigarettes.

Back in January, a minor described only as a "child" was taken to the Washington City police station by his parents, who reported that the boy obtained "multiple nicotine vapes from an adult man" on the Snapchat platform.

The child reportedly positively identified Proctor as the individual from whom he'd purchased the vapes. In June, an adult woman visited the same station, alleging that Proctor netted around $10,000 a month selling "large quantities of nicotine vapes on Snapchat."

In August, another parent discovered their child had purchased vapes through Snapchat. Once again, the minor reportedly made a positive identification when shown a photograph of Proctor.

Those separate reports allowed police to obtain a search warrant. When it was executed, law enforcement said they recovered a large quantity of vapes in boxes, cannabis, and paraphernalia; cannabis is legal only for medicinal use in Utah.

Proctor was charged with "contributing to the delinquency of a minor, doing business without a license, and providing nicotine products to minors," KSTU reported.

Why is this concerning?

This arrest in Utah specifically involved allegedly unlicensed sales of nicotine products, which increases the risk of products being impure, adulterated, or otherwise unfit for adult use.

Moreover, all three reported incidents involved one or more young people purchasing vapes, and according to the Minnesota Department of Health, "no amount of nicotine is safe" for minors. 

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The public health department warned that research indicates nicotine use hinders cognitive development in young users, potentially leading to problems with learning and substance abuse later in life. Nicotine use in children is linked with respiratory problems, per the American Lung Association.

Disposable vapes are also an environmental scourge, already littering beaches and clogging landfills because they are not reusable and must be replaced constantly. Recent estimates suggest nearly 500,000 disposable vapes are discarded every day in the United States.

Additionally, disposable vapes are considered e-waste, a type of waste that can have severe environmental consequences if not disposed of properly. 

They contain lithium-ion batteries, which can leak toxins into the soil when they're thrown in the trash.

What can be done about it?

Adult disposable vape users can combat the problem by properly disposing of all e-waste, including e-cigarettes. In general, single-use products that contain plastic, and especially those that contain a battery, are worth avoiding for less environmentally damaging alternatives. 

Disposable vape litter remains a problem in many places, and getting involved in local efforts, such as beach cleanups, can help mitigate the effects of vape debris in your area.

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