You will probably find a correlation between the attempt to fully ban vapes and the amount of tax being placed on analogs per pack. NY has one of the highest taxes per pack. I'm not sure about MD and WA. Simply put, they're addicted to smokers, they can't quit, and to have us quit will put a big dent in their revenue.
Right now, legislation and taxes concerning analogs and tobacco products is on a knife's edge, precariously balanced between optimum taxation vs ability of the citizenry to spend, optimum fines from Big Tobacco, and having a revolt. To lessen the fines, there was an influx of those annoying public announcements from BT about the dangers of smoking in 2008. Remember those? Come the next increase in national income levels, that balance will be tested to the next knife's edge. Frog boiling at its finest.
Now that floating tobacco bonds are in place, BT has pulled back - doing the bare minimum to avoid the fines - because they know that tobacco users, on the average, are not stupid, they are addicted. The states, their individual municipalities, and the feds want to keep them that way.
And don't kid yourself about Socialized National Health Care. Sounds good on paper and in theory, but please do tell me where in that massive all-for-one bill are provisions for addicts other than illegal drug users and alcoholics.
Look, I was dumped by my insurance due to having tested positive for Rheumatoid Arthritis. Kicked out in the cold, literally. They don't give a crap if I smoke. Smoking equals higher premiums. My RA costs them more than my smoking. Being forced to pay thousands anually into a national system costs me more than being without, and my American sensibilities have a problem with being punished and fined for not swallowing what's being shoved down my throat. But, I digress ...