Last February, the Assembly Health Committee in New Jersey caused much uproar amongst vape shop owners when it in proposed banning flavored ‘e-juices.’ Health Committee Chairman, Herb Conaway who helped sponsor the bill stated, “This business of U.S. teens increasing their first use, increasing their experimentation, is what I am trying to deter with this legislation”. While the measure to ban flavored e-juices passed, many of the more than 350 vape shop owners in NJ found the legislation to derive from ignorance in ultimately hurting local business owners. Justin McLeod who works at a vape shop in the state disagrees with the law stating, “”If you were to remove the option of flavors, I not only think it would drive business out of the state to either New York, Pennsylvania, or to Delaware or drive sales online, I think it would ultimately hurt a lot of people who have switched to vaping over traditional tobacco and it might drive some people back to that.”
While flavored cigarettes are already banned in New Jersey, menthols and cloves are exempt leading some to think that big tobacco may have a hand in the proposal of this law.
While the proposed legislation has passed through the health committee, it must ultimately be submitted to the floor of the Assembly for a vote and if it passed must also be signed by Governor Christie. If this law passes, New Jersey will become the first state to ban e-juices.
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