CAPE CORAL, FL — Jason Garner says flavors for juices keep vaping interesting, and that’s helped him transition from traditional cigarettes to vaping for almost a year.
“The availability of different flavors is a huge aspect.”
That’s an aspect that could soon change.
President Trump said Wednesday that the Federal Drug Administration will soon issue new “strong recommendations” regarding the use of flavors utilized in e-cigarettes. The White House also saying the new policy would require vape shops to pull flavors from their shelves.
Controversy and further discussion surrounding vaping continues this week, as a sixth person has died from a lung-related illness. According to health officials in the state of Kansas, that person did use e-cigarettes. But, they did also have other health complications.
Yet, the Centers for Disease Control is still calling this an outbreak.
They say as of earlier this month, there have been over 450 possible cases of lung illnesses associated with the use of e-cigarettes in multiple states - including Florida.
Jack Hannon is the manager of Lotus Vape and Smoke Shop.
“Our customers use those products to get off of smoking a pack of cigarettes. The overall sales will go down drastically.”
Another spokesperson for the shop tells FOX 4 that 60% of their inventory is comprised of vaping products.
They tell us they're also concerned for people who’ve used vaping to break other addictions - like Jason Garner.
“I don’t want to go back to smoking. I don’t know if I’ll be able to NOT go back to smoking.”
FOX 4 spoke with other SWFL business owners and managers who said this ban could impact their business and possibly shut them down. The White House says it will roll out new regulations within a few weeks.
The Lee County School District is taking action to inform parents in our area about vaping usage. You can find the list of those here.
