'Nothing that's been approved, we carry' | PA vape crackdown imminent

A new Pennsylvania law, Act 57, will soon force vape shops to remove most of their products from store shelves. Enforcement begins October 19. Disposable vapes, e-cigarettes, e-liquids, cartridges and pods will mostly be considered illegal unless they appear on a state directory of products that can legally be sold.

The law, signed in December, requires the attorney general's office to build and maintain the directory of electronic nicotine delivery systems, or ENDS. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday says products on that list must be submitted to or approved by the FDA, and then manufacturers or applicants must apply to his office for inclusion on the directory. "We encourage businesses with soon-to-be illegal products to ensure their compliance with the law," Sunday said.

Manufacturers, not individual retailers, must apply to place products on the directory. To qualify, a product generally must have FDA authorization or be tied to a federal application still under review. The law also recognizes some products subject to denial orders that have been stayed by the FDA or a court. If a product does not appear on the state directory, retailers will be prohibited from selling it once enforcement begins.

Sunday said the law is about public health and consumer safety, noting that vapes and e-cigarettes are often marketed to attract children with candy-like flavors, packaging, and even video games, and that many unapproved products are produced in China. At the time of review, the state directory listed six manufacturers and 159 products.

At Mountain Vaporz in northeastern Pennsylvania, manager James Wyckoff said the devices and the shop's custom-made vape juice account for nearly 70% of sales. He said, "Nothing that's been approved, we carry. That case, these two walls, all have to be bare." He said customers depend on these things and don't want to go back to smoking cigarettes.

The state says targeted enforcement across Pennsylvania is set to begin Oct. 19, with penalties gradually increasing for repeat offenders.

(Source：Wgal News 8)