You see it around campus — someone inhales from what looks to be a walkie talkie and then billows out a citrus scented nimbus cloud.
It is called “vaping,” and the Ingham County Health Department is currently working on a piece of legislation that will regulate its sale similar to products with tobacco in order to prevent its sale to minors.
According to Ingham County, the goal of the Electronic Smoking Device Licensing Regulation is “reducing youth access” to electronic smoking products as well as “maintaining compliance and licensing records of businesses that sell electronic smoking devices.”
Linda Vail, a health officer for Ingham County said the end goal of the regulation is the same as before, only now vape products will be regulated similarly to tobacco.
“Virtually anyone can buy and sell e-cigarettes in Ingham County right now, even children,” she said in a press release. The law itself states, “electronic smoking devices contain components and chemicals that are dangerous to young children.”
Data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products, and cited by Ingham County, stated that electronic cigarette use among minors has tripled in recent years.
The county held an open forum where those who had grievances with the proposed legislation could express their concern.
Matthew Kirkpatrick is an advocate for Smoke Free Michigan and, during the meeting, stated he “couldn’t agree more” with the notion of keeping these products out of the hands of minors.
