A new state law banning the sale of e-cigarettes to minors goes into effect next week.
Under the bill, it also is illegal for minors to possess e-cigarettes.
Some e-cigarettes look like traditional cigarettes. But instead of tobacco, e-cigarettes vaporize a mixture of flavorings - and nicotine.
Still, they are addictive and until recently, there were no laws in Florida banning their sale to people under the age of 18. Also, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration hasn’t issued any official rules concerning them.
“Because the FDA has not ruled on the e-cigarettes at that time, I thought it’d be a great bill to protect our youth,” State Representative Frank Artiles said of the bill he sponsored.
His bill received unanimous support in the state Senate and House.
Kelli Thibault owns Smoke This Too, a local tobacco shop. She says even before the bill, she made a policy prohibiting the sale of e-cigarettes to minors.
"As a mother first and a business owner second, I wouldn’t appreciate it if someone sold my child something mimicking smoking so I don’t do it either," Thibault said.
The new law allows local governments to pass stricter regulations over e-cigarettes, which remain legal for adults to purchase.
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