New York's ban on flavored vaping products remains tied up in legal limbo, but some anti-tobacco advocates and lawmakers are looking to 2020 and how they can prevent kids from getting hooked on the e-cigarettes.
A ban on flavored vaping products could be the first step in an effort to crack down e-cigarette usage among kids in New York. Theresa Zubretsky of Capital District Tobacco-Free Communities says e-cigarette companies have targeted young consumers with their products.
"One of the things we've learned in tobacco control is if you want to reduce youth uptake, you want to reduce the affordability of these products for young people, the accessibility of these products for young people, and their appeal," Zubretsky said.
Industry giant Juul maintains it hasn't marketed its products to kids, but is being sued by Attorney General Letitia James over that very issue.
"They paid people to go on social media and talk about using Juul as sort of a lifestyle," Zubretsky said.
State lawmakers are expected next year to take up a series of bills meant to discourage e-cigarette companies from marketing to kids. Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal of Manhattan has sponsored multiple bills on the issue.
"The real scourge is a new generation of people are being hooked on nicotine and e-cigarettes and that's minors," Rosenthal said.
This year, New York took one of the clearest steps yet it wants to limit tobacco use among young people, raising the age of tobacco purchases from 18 to 21.