Ohio Attorney General Targeting Illegal Vapes
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Ohio’s attorney general is cracking down on illegal vaping across the state, saying unregulated vapes being sold in Ohio, especially those targeting kids, pose a real danger.
The FDA has authorized 27 e-cigarette products to be sold in the United States. All of those are tobacco or menthol-flavored. Any other flavor not authorized by the FDA is illegal.
On Tuesday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed complaints against three Ohio businesses: one in Delaware, one in Cincinnati, and one in Wayne County. They are charged with selling illegal vape flavors despite a warning letter from Yost’s office in early April.
These investigations included Orrville Tobacco and Vape Shop in Orrville, Central Tobacco in Delaware and Elev8 Smoke Shop in Cincinnati, according to reports.
“You can go to any convenience store and find lots and lots of things that aren’t approved on that list, so we went to court today to ask the court to require them to stop selling unapproved vapes,” Yost said. “It’s a violation of Ohio law and federal law.”
He says it is not about closing smoke shops but ensuring they only sell what is allowed.
Flavored tobacco sales are banned in Columbus. Last month, a judge upheld the ban after ruling that a state law prohibiting cities like Columbus from banning tobacco sales was unconstitutional.
