A ban on the sale of vaping products that have not been reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, cannabis vaping products and flavored tobacco products in unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County goes into effect next Monday.
This comes after a unanimous vote by the Board of Supervisors Tuesday morning in a meeting that saw substantial public turnout and comment from dozens of students from area high schools.
“Students, I appreciate you being here, I know you’re disappointed to be missing class,” said Supervisor Candace Andersen, which got some laughter from the crowd.
“This is a health crisis, there are potentially fatal consequences,” Andersen said. “We are seeing people die and I would much prefer to have us err on the side of protecting the public.”
The move comes amid a mysterious nationwide epidemic of respiratory illness linked to vaping that has sickened more than 2,000 people and led to roughly 40 deaths, according to county staff.
The board expressed a heightened level of concern for the risks vaping poses for young people, as did many in the audience.
“We know that there are 7,000 flavors on the market, and that 80 percent of youth are using flavors,” said Erica Costa, advocacy director for the American Lung Association in Sacramento.
“Flavors have been the number one tool for the tobacco industry in hooking new users,” said Blythe Young, from the American Heart Association, echoing Costa’s argument.
Young said that tactic has been particularly effective among minors and communities of color.
Bryan Miller, a Lafayette resident and a concerned parent, said his 16-year-old daughter recently told him that 90 percent of the kids in her peer group vape, and two-thirds of her friends are addicted.
That may be higher than the national average, however. The National Youth Tobacco Survey recently found that one in four high school students are vaping, according to county staff.
There was a small group of advocates who asked the board to consider moving forward with the ban on selling tobacco vaping products, but to leave cannabis vaping products out of the ordinance.
Laurie Light of Daytrip, which produces cannabis-infused beverages, said that since cannabis vaping products are lab-tested before they go to market in accordance with state law, they are safe for public consumption and inaccessible to minors through legal sales.
“The problem of teens vaping in school is something we need to deal with, but it’s not the problem we are dealing with today,” Light said.
The board declined to accommodate that request, however.
Starting Monday, sale of all tobacco and cannabis vaping products as well as flavored tobacco products will be prohibited in unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County. The ordinance will not affect regulations in incorporated areas of the county’s nearly 20 cities, however.
Well, ok…. Who will keep data if this ban reduces use? A neighbor kid vapes and buys all his stuff online… HUMMmmmmmm
Smokers are very inconsiderate. Ban all tobacco products!
Ban cars also because they kill more people, And guns and knives. Do you realize how many people fall down stairs? Ban them too.
In addition I hope that parents and schools really make this a focus to educate kids/ teens about the negative health impacts of vaping not to mention being around others that vape and breathing the secondhand vape. We all have a responsibility to get the message across and not just rely on a ban as that will not solve this issue.
Parents/ guardians I would also consider quitting vaping / smoking as well or if you can’t make sure it is not done in front of your children. Usually when kids see a parent doing it or grow up in a household where it is happening they tend to pick up the habit as well. Just something to take into consideration.
Parents aren’t gonna have any choice unless they buy product out of County.
I agree it is a hazard. But don’t the supes have a few more important things to deal with in this county ?
Good – just because something can’t be guaranteed perfect – does not mean you can’t make the effort – otherwise I would be just eating ice cream and pizza all day instead of going to the gym and eating healthy foods.
How about a ban on cigarettes as well, how long has that been killing people and how many deaths thus far?!
Wow
What a surprise
Must have been close not
More freedoms taken away
Increased taxes
Roads still in disrepair
Bridges unsafe
Mtc running amuck with bridge money and not using it for roads as advertised
By the way has anyone tried to visit Berkeley marina lately…wow a few pictures of that would definitely have China and Russia invading America
But groove on till the lights go out
You wanted this you voted for it
Shout out your best reasons for total dem control and over taxing
Teach us the way
You wanted this you voted for it………..I beg to differ.
Many of us beg to differ. But I feel blessed Random doesn’t yell it at us in all caps anymore.
2000 cases of people getting sick and 40 deaths for vaping vs. 480,000 deaths per year for cigs and who knows how many millions are sick from smoking cigs and second hand smoke. Don’t get me wrong here, I have no love of the vape… in fact as a local teacher I feel quite the opposite. I am sickened by the rampant use of these products by our youth and the use of these products is a definite issue. But… this media hype and call to action just doesn’t add up when looking at this with perspective. How much does the billions of dollars that big tobacco lobbies control play in to this? (Rhetorical question, FYI)
The politicians are known for taking the easy way out and not taking a hard stand on issues based on fact. They’re more interested in appearances and getting re-elected.
Money that would have been spent locally will be spent online, with lower online prices and shipping incentives a larger quantity will be bought.
Thank you for hurting our economy and further restricting our liberties.
I’m reposting here as I posted on the previous article. And the fact that this only affect unincorporated Contra Costa shows how ridiculous this is:
The CDC has reported vaping related injuries and deaths are attributed to black market cartridges. Vaping nicotine products to quit traditional smoking is not the cause of any of the illnesses.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/08/health/vaping-illness-cdc.html
Why are we still allowing the sale of traditional tobacco while we all know it kills people. Banning vaping is ridiculous because it will prevent legitimate users in the vaping community from purchasing liquid from local sources. Sale of alcohol and tobacco is banned to minors and yet we still have underage drinking and smoking problems.
Public health is paid by big tobacco as long as people still die from smoking cigarettes. The U.K. has vaping shops inside hospitals to encourage people to quit traditional tobacco. Why are we so against vaping, especially since we turn a blind eye when our neighbors smoke next door or pass by a coworker that reeks of cigarettes. There is no such thing as second hand vape!
I truly mean no disrespect but I am curious why anyone would want to subject their lungs to vaping regardless of where the cartridges are purchased from.
I keep hearing the argument that it is allegedly safer than smoking, but it still makes me think of the whole ordering a burger fries and a DIET coke to save calories mentality.
Henry, people vape because they want nicotine, because it gives them something to do, and generally because it is a pleasurable activity. These are the same reasons people subject their lungs to cigarettes and marijuana and their bodies to alcohol and coffee.
Vaping = process of natural selection. The ban will not stop morons
How about the millions of people killed by alcohol … is that not a public health crisis. This ban makes no sense when you consider marijuana, alcohol and cigarettes are legal. They are just picking on a immature industry
why not the whole county? Do they not have jurisdiction to regulate everyone in Contra Costa? not going to do much
For people who are not familiar with cannabis medicines:
Many patients, including the elderly and seriously ill, can only treat with a vaporized inhalation medical protocol.
The products that have been responsible for the serious illnesses and deaths are not from the regulated market. Legal CA cannabis products undergo some of the most rigorous testing in the country… I’ve had an engineer in dairy tell me that it’s even more stringent than the dairy industry.
So, we think we’re going to solve this problem by punishing the people who need these products and the retailers who can safely provide them? Unfortunately decisions like this will only promote the illicit products that are responsible for this scary trend.
If we experienced a similar problem with off-market pain relievers, would we ban Tylenol and Advil?
So disheartening to know that so many individuals in civic leadership who appear to be educated and knowledgeable are promoting these ideas and making these decisions. Thanks CCC Supes for increasing the health risks in our community.
Meanwhile, cigarettes are killing hundreds of thousands of people per year but aren’t banned.
Things that make you go HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
That is because cigarettes and alcohol are taxed by federal and state governments that rake in billions annually for their sales while there is only state and local sales tax applied to e-cigs and vaping products. Public health concerns are the easiest way for governments to step in and regulate an industry and then of course, they will need to tax the industry to finance the “regulation and oversight” in order to “keep the public safe”
Next they will want to make Heroin & Opioids illegal…..
Oh wait.