My son is addicted to vaping. He started when friends introduced him to a flavored vape product in high school when he was 17 and is now struggling to quit at 24. He's part of Vermont's youth tobacco addiction crisis that demands action - on two fronts.
We can immediately remove the enticement for these products to youth by eliminating the sale of flavored tobacco. It's ridiculous to think that flavors like Sour Patch, Fluffernutter, and Gummy Chews are geared to adults. They are marketed to kids, and it's working.
A quarter of Vermont's high schools seniors are vaping, and the problem has now seeped into middle schools.
When my son started, each Juul pod provided 500 puffs, the equivalent to a pack of cigarettes. Now, there are products on the market, in the same flavors and colors as taffy, that deliver 4,000 puffs per product. These disposable vapes are now hip for kids, with many calling them "dispos."...