vaping

Currently, the state park system mostly follows the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act, which bars smoking inside buildings.

Between law changes and student organizations, the county is trying to curb the usage of e-cigarettes and similar devices among middle and high school kids amid an increasing number of smoke shops.

About 10% of high school students said they had used e-cigarettes in the previous month, down from 14% from the same survey last year. However, vaping among middle schoolers was about the same.

The devices contain nicotine, lithium and other materials that cannot be reused or recycled. Under federal law they also aren’t supposed to go in the trash.

According to the lawsuit, filed in Hillsborough County, the state seeks civil penalties and an injunction to prevent Juul from “targeting children" and "deceiving consumers with respect to the nicotine concentration.”

A 2022 law allows local governments to create smoking zones and fines, enact stricter laws on butt disposal and outright bans. Cities and counties previously lacked that authority.

Popular e-cigarettes lack packaging that stops kids from consuming the hazardous nicotine inside.

The FDA cracked down on the nicotine devices, yet they're stocked on many store shelves. The reason has to do with burgeoning overseas production, lack of clear rules, and lax enforcement.

The number of different e-cig devices sold has nearly tripled despite a three-year federal effort to block kid-friendly flavors. The rise has been almost entirely driven by a wave of cheap, disposable devices imported from China.

The police department is working with hotels and beach commanders on flyers, signs and social media to spread the word about the ban on smoking and vaping before handing out citations.