States With the Toughest Vape Laws as California Plans New Ban

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 762, which bans the import and manufacture of disposable nicotine vaping devices starting January 1, 2027, and their sale starting January 1, 2028. Violators face penalties starting at $500 for a first offense, with repeat violations punishable by up to $2,000. The law excludes cannabis vaping products and reusable devices, focusing on single-use vapes containing lithium-ion batteries and nicotine residue. Legislative summaries describe the measure as primarily an environmental protection law, since embedded batteries and nicotine residue make recycling difficult. Opponents, including the California Distributors Association and tobacco companies, argue the ban could limit access to alternatives for adult smokers and push users toward untaxed, unregulated sellers — a pattern they say followed the state's 2022 flavored tobacco restrictions. Across the U.S., the toughest vaping laws increasingly focus on restricting flavored products, with nearly 90 percent of young e-cigarette users consuming flavored varieties. States including California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Utah have enacted some of the nation's strictest restrictions on flavored vaping products. Additionally, a growing number of states — such as Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin — have adopted vape-directory laws requiring products to appear on a state-approved list before they can be legally sold.

(Source：Newsweek)