State Reminds Public of Flavored E-Cigarette Ban Currently in Effect

Emergency rules outlawing the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and vaping products remains in effect throughout Montana, with the 120-day enforcement period not scheduled to expire until April 15.

Gov. Steve Bullock initially banned the sale of flavored vaping products on Oct. 22 in response to a nationwide outbreak of illnesses now known as E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Associated Lung Injury (EVALI). Ravalli County District Judge Jennifer Lint signed a temporary restraining order pausing the ban before it took effect in response to a suit filed by a group of vape shop owners but later ruled in favor of the state and allowed the ban to begin on Dec. 18, starting the 120-day clock.

The restrictions prohibit the sale of all flavored vaping products, including nicotine, THC and CBD, both in-store and online. Retailers who sell flavored products are not required to destroy their inventory.

As of Feb. 4, 2020, EVALI has sickened more than 2,700 people nationwide according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is responsible for 64 deaths across 28 states and the District of Columbia. There have been eight confirmed cases in Montana and one death. No cases of EVALI have been reported in Flathead County.

Critics of the ban say it is an overreaction to an illness that has been traced primarily to black-market products containing THC, the chemical compound in marijuana that produces a high. Vaping advocates say e-cigarettes are used mostly as a smoking cessation tool and that most former smokers favor different flavors in order to disassociate from the taste of traditional cigarettes.

Proponents of the ban point to the appeal of some flavors to young people, citing the 2019 Montana Youth Behavior Risk Survey that reported 58.3 percent of high school students had used an electronic vapor product in the last year. Sales of tobacco-based vaping products are restricted to people 21 and older.

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) issued a notice on Feb. 19 reminding the public of the ban and sharing a website where citizens can report retailers still selling flavored products, dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/mtupp/vapingcomplaintform. DPHHS has received 42 total complaints involving 17 different tobacco retailers since enforcement began, and local health departments have referred 13 cases to county attorneys in their jurisdiction. A person violating the emergency rules can be charged with a misdemeanor and face up to six months in prison and a $500 fine. DPHHS Public Information Officer Jon Ebelt told the Beacon “a majority of the retailers are following the law and are in compliance” with the rules. No complaints have been filed against retailers in Flathead County.

For more information on the ban and EVALI, visit dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/mtupp/vapingpulmonarydisease.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the minimum age to buy vaping products. The minimum age to purchase any tobacco-based products, including e-cigarettes, was raised to 21 in December 2019.