Five Things Teens Should Know About Vaping
Smoking e-cigarettes has become very popular in teen culture during the past five years. Many minors think that this is a fun and harmless activity, but it actually can pose serious issues. To help prevent a developing dependence of flavored nicotine, here are five things that all teens should be aware of.
What Are E-Cigarettes?
These devices are defined as having a battery operated design that conveys flavored nicotine into the user’s system. When these devices first became popular, there was little knowledge about the consequences since vapor was being delivered through the device, not smoke. But as time has progressed and new research has been revealed, it is clear that e-cigarettes still have detrimental effects to their users, especially for those that have become dependent on the nicotine.
Consequences of Minors in Possession of E-Cigarettes or Vapes
The state of Connecticut has laws that make it illegal to possess any e-cigarette if the user is under the age of 18 years old. This includes all products that relate to a vape or e-cigarette. If you are of age but then sell to younger teens that are minors, you can get in trouble because that is a violation of the law. There are fines as a result of buying an e-cigarette in public, lying about your age to a seller, or even having one in public. These fines start at $50 and can reach $100 for any following offenses.
If you are caught selling these devices to anyone underage, there are fines that follow. For your first offense, it is $200. The second offense is $350 if it occurred within a year of the first one. After that fine, it becomes $500 for each offense.
Technology to Verify Age
Since there is a big market for e-cigarettes in the teenage culture, technology has played a big role in preventing minors from obtaining these devices illegally. These are the regulations that sellers and buyers must obey during a transaction:
- Checking other documents that aren’t IDs or driver licenses.
- Sellers are not permitted to continue with the transaction if the scan doesn’t match the information given on their identification.
- Do not limit the information that is required for a transaction scanner to avoid losing a sale.
- Restricting the employees from taking information from a customer and selling it to others.
- Permitting an affirmative defense during trials because of the seller relying on electronic scans that proved a valid ID.
Where Is This Prohibited?
Recently, e-cigarettes seem to be prohibited in most public spaces, just as regular cigarettes are. There are few exceptions overall but in general it is safe to assume that vaping is prohibited.
E-Cigarettes are banned in: restaurants, passenger elevators, school buildings, dormitories, health care buildings, and retail food stores. While this list isn’t exhausted, it covers a majority of public institutions.
E-Cigarettes are allowed in: correctional facilities, designed smoking areas, or tobacco bars. There are few others that exempt the prohibition of e-cigarette use but are strictly enforced.
Getting Help
If you ever have questions regarding your child’s use of e-cigarettes or find yourself in a situation where help is needed, feel free to contact my office for help.