Recently, the official website of the US Consumer Choice Center released the latest 2024 version of the US state vape index, evaluating 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data shows that only three states, Alaska, North Dakota and Tennessee, received an A+ score in the study for their evidence-based vape policy approach.
This rating indicates that these states are able to use vapes as a harm reduction tool while still allowing consumers to choose for themselves. Other states that performed well include Arizona, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
In contrast, 12 states, including Utah (0 points), California (5 points), and Vermont (10 points), have adopted restrictive policies on vapes. Those states include Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Nebraska, Massachusetts, Illinois, Hawaii, the District of Columbia and Colorado (all with a score of 15).
The number of low-scoring states has doubled since the first edition of the index in 2020.
“vapes save lives. If all smokers in the United States switched to vapes within a decade, 6.6 million premature deaths would be avoided,” said Emil Panzaru, research director at the Center for Consumer Choice.
“However, policymakers have failed to recognize vapes as an effective alternative to traditional combustible tobacco products, misclassifying them as tobacco products and imposing harsh flavor bans, tax increases, mandatory product registration and online sales bans. These policies make it difficult for consumers to break more harmful smoking habits and fuel the vape black market. Ultimately, state laws run counter to the latest global public health practices.”
The index measures five factors: whether states classify vapes as tobacco products, state-level vape flavor restrictions, state registration requirements, additional vape taxes and the presence or absence of online sales bans.
Panzaru said, “The most reliable research shows that authoritative organizations such as Public Health England have confirmed that vapes are 95% safer for users than combustible tobacco. Evidence from the New England Journal of Medicine shows that vapes are twice as effective as any nicotine tablet, patch or spray in helping to quit smoking. More importantly, a review of 15 different studies found that there is little evidence that vapes have a so-called channel effect, causing adolescents to switch from vapes to smoking or hard drugs.”
“State authorities should seriously study the example of Sweden, the first European country to become a smoke-free country through research-driven vape harm reduction tools, rather than adopting inappropriate policies that ignore evidence.”
As a brand committed to compliance and product quality, Veehoo vapes pays attention to changes in vape policies in various states in the United States. In this rating, some states were criticized for their restrictive policies, while others were recognized for their open and evidence-based approaches. This divergence highlights the importance of policy making for the vape industry and user choices.
Veehoo vapes are well aware of the importance of vapes in helping to quit smoking and reducing the harm of smoking. Consistent with the views of the Consumer Choice Center, Veehoo believes that policymakers should formulate more reasonable and scientific vape policies based on empirical research and the advice of authoritative institutions to balance the relationship between public health and consumer needs.
As the vape market continues to develop, Veehoo will continue to be committed to promoting the healthy development of the vape industry and providing safer and more reliable products to help users break away from traditional smoking habits and move towards a healthier lifestyle. Through cooperation with industry organizations and government agencies, Veehoo will strive to promote the scientific and rationalization of vape policies and provide users with better choices and services.
Tags: Ranking of vape Friendly Index in U.S. States，Consumer Choice Center，veehoo vape