vaping

The Environment and Natural Resources Committee backed the measure filed by Chair Ana Maria Rodriguez that would lead to $100 for the first violation and jump to $500 for subsequent offenses.

The FDA and most scientists agree that, based on available evidence, e- cigarettes are far less dangerous than traditional cigarettes. But that doesn’t mean vaping is harmless either.

Industry data show thousands of new flavored products still pouring in from China and raise questions about how to stop the flow of fruit-flavored vapes used by 1 in 10 American teens and adolescents.

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.