A State Senator's Message About Vaping: Ban It Until The Industry Pays Up
“You’ll see strong consideration by the Texas Legislature to treat the vaping industry no different than the tobacco industry,” Perry says. “The common theme being there [that] it’s addictive and it’s based on an addiction on nicotine that’s purposely added to products.”
He says unless or until the vaping industry is willing to pay for the consequences of vaping-related illness and nicotine addiction, vaping products should be banned altogether.
Texas Standard received an email response to Perry's comments from Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association, a nonprofit, pro-vaping advocacy organization. An excerpt is reprinted below:
"When it comes to recent lung illnesses and deaths, the evidence continues to point to contaminated illicit THC products as the cause. CDC publications and doctors who have treated patients have both reported that patients claiming to have only vaped nicotine are often found to be lying, most likely because of marijuana still being illegal.
"We need to do more to prevent youth experimentation with vaping products, but that does not mean we should take away options from the 34 million-plus American adults who still smoke cigarettes. ... Moreover, as youth vaping rose, we just saw the largest ever decline in teen smoking.
"Youth are abusing high nicotine products designed to help heavy smokers quit in order to get a nicotine buzz. Banning flavors won't do a thing to stop risk-seeking youth from experimenting, but it will create massive black markets and discourage adults from quitting smoking, as we know that flavors are used by the vast majority of adult users."