Vaping Regulations in Kansas

Along with the rise of vaping products globally, comes their availability to young people. This new craze across the nation has led some adolescents to addiction, illness, and even death. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has reported over 805 cases of lung illness in all but four states. This includes 13 confirmed deaths in California, Kansas, Oregon, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Missouri according to the CDC. 

All these patients have had one thing in common: having used a vaping product recently. The vape products used by these teens typically contained either nicotine or THC, the liquified version of a psychoactive component found in marijuana. Some patients used only nicotine, others only THC, and some used both. 

Over the summer, the death count from these products rose globally, prompting some states to move toward banning or restricting these products. Recently, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Michigan, and New York have worked toward banning vape devices altogether. In Kansas, legislators would like to raise the age of purchase for nicotine products specifically from 18 to 21. This focus on age restrictions has risen from the CDC’s statistics noting that 40% of vaping related illnesses have been in adolescents under the age of 21, according to the CDC. 

Larger cities, such as Topeka and Kansas City, have already enforced a purchase age of at least 21 years of age. This law could apply to the entire state by as early as 2020. At the moment, the Olathe School District has decided to sue Juul, and Goddard school officials have announced a similar lawsuit. Juul has yet to disclose any information regarding these lawsuits. Although they have been accused of marketing toward teenagers in the past, they deny these accusations and continue to argue that their product was developed to help others end their nicotine addictions.