According to Mirage News on November 12, a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association on November 11, 2024, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, found that online vape retailers failed to follow relevant laws to prevent the sale of vape products to minors, including age verification, delivery methods and flavor restrictions.
The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on November 11, 2024. The study invited 16 participants to purchase flavored vape products over the Internet in San Diego County and have them delivered to their homes, and then analyzed the results of these purchase attempts. Of the 156 attempted transactions, 73% were successfully processed and 67% were successfully delivered.
As of March 21, 2024, eight states and 392 cities or counties in the United States have enacted sales restrictions on flavored tobacco products, but some of them do not include e-commerce. For example, California Senate Bill 793 (SB-793) in 2022 prohibits the sale of flavored tobacco products, but the restrictions on e-commerce are not clear enough.
Because of the ambiguity of California law, researchers aimed to test differences in enforcement of local tobacco e-commerce ordinances. Eight buyers were from the city of San Diego, which has an ordinance restricting the sale of flavored tobacco products, including online. The other eight buyers were from other communities in San Diego County that do not have the same restrictions. Results showed no significant differences in deliveries between buyers in these two areas.
Purchasing vapes online not only violates the flavoring restrictions, but also the Preventing Online Sales to Children Act, a federal law that prohibits the use of the United States Postal Service (USPS) to ship vape products and requires age verification and ID scans at the time of delivery.
Dr. Eric Leas, assistant professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Sciences, said:
“Offline stores have long-standing monitoring systems to enforce the law, but we do not have systems for online retailers. The findings highlight the need for greater monitoring and enforcement of online tobacco retailers.”
“Online sales of vapes are the fastest growing area of the tobacco industry. We need to evaluate tobacco retail policies to ensure they cover e-commerce and monitor the market to improve enforcement.”
The study also found that:
- Only 1% of buyers had their ID scanned upon delivery;
- 81% of shipments were delivered via USPS;
- 9% of shipments were delivered via couriers with shipping restrictions. Specifically, 4.0% were delivered via UPS, 3.0% via FedEx, and 3.0% via DHL;
- 78% of buyers reported no interaction with the delivery person;
- 15% of buyers spoke to the delivery person but did not check their ID;
- 6% of buyers had their ID checked but not scanned;
In his 2023 study published in the journal Tobacco Control, Liss reported that since the implementation of SB-793, online inquiries for cigarette purchases have been 194% higher than expected, and inquiries for vape products have been 162% higher.
To strengthen state tobacco regulatory programs, including flavored tobacco products sold online, California lawmakers recently passed SB-1230, citing Liss’s Tobacco Control research results. The law will take effect on January 1, 2025.
As a company focused on providing high-quality products, Veehoo Electronic Cigarettes is well aware of its responsibility to minors and public health. In this context, Veehoo calls for greater clarity and enforcement of vape regulations to protect minors from the adverse effects of vapes and safeguard the rights of adult smokers.
For online sales, Veehoo recognizes the need for stronger regulation and enforcement. Clear regulations can ensure that online vape retailers comply with age verification and delivery regulations, effectively preventing minors from accessing vape products. By supporting clearer and stricter regulations, Veehoo is committed to protecting public health and social responsibility and promoting the sustainable development of the vape industry.
In regulatory initiatives such as the SB-1230 bill passed in California, Veehoo sees positive signals for strengthening vape regulation. By leveraging research results and expert advice, such as Dr. Eric Liss’s research, stricter vape regulations will help improve industry standards and protect the health of minors, while ensuring that the rights of adult smokers are respected.
In summary, Veehoo calls on governments and regulators at all levels to strengthen regulation of the vape industry, ensure that online sales comply with regulations, protect the health of minors, and advocate clear regulations to help safeguard the rights of adult smokers. By working together, we can build a safer and healthier vape market and promote the overall well-being and development of society.
Tags: California vape study，Insufficient regulation of online vape sales in California，veehoo vape