Dropping is an alternative to vaping, a common trend among young e-cigarette users. This process occurs when the nicotine liquid (flavored or not) is heated directly on the battery-powered coil and the vapors are inhaled by the user. Conventional vaping uses the device`s filter, where some of the liquid is trapped before inhalation. According to one study, teens drip to produce thicker vapor, get a stronger punch, and improve taste. Dropping is a problem among medical professionals because vape liquid evaporates at a higher temperature and bypasses the filter, potentially amplifying the effects of vape`s dangerous ingredients. “Vaping is harmful to our youth. Not only is it habit-forming, but the nicotine in these products can have lasting effects on children`s still-developing brains,” Taylor said. The use of these products continues to increase and they contain highly addictive products and chemicals. Authorized retailers in Oregon have agreed to do the right thing, protect our children and sell only to adults. To ensure that a personal exchange is necessary to purchase these products, we eliminate a gap that can lead to lifelong addiction and negative health consequences. Last year, Attorney General Rosenblum announced that Oregon was conducting a 39-state investigation into the marketing and sales tactics of Juul Labs, which sells nicotine capsules for vaping devices.

The multi-state investigation is ongoing. The sale of inhalation systems requires the seller to obtain a dealer`s licence (and possibly a retail licence), a consumer certificate that they are at least 21 years of age, and verify the consumer`s age through a third-party verification system. The delivery must contain a clear indication that the sale to persons under the age of 21 is illegal and proof of age is required. Or. Revision Stat. § 323.706 (2022) If you or a loved one is ready to quit smoking, vaping or using e-cigarettes, free assistance is available. “The use of vaping products by our youth is shocking,” said Sen. Kathleen Taylor (D-Portland), who has worked to protect Oregan youth from the dangers of tobacco and nicotine since beginning her service in the legislature. “No matter how diligent our retailers do, there is always significant access to these products online.” On Wednesday, August 9, 2017, Governor Kate Brown signed Senate Bill 754. The Act raised the minimum age for the legal purchase or receipt of tobacco products, inhalation systems and tobacco product devices from 18 to 21.

“There is no effective way to verify age or discourage minors from buying these products online. In Oregon, you can`t buy cigarettes online, and there`s no good reason to be able to buy vape products online,” Attorney General Rosenblum said. Despite the sharp decline in smoking rates among minors, the growing use of e-cigarettes among adolescents threatens years of progress in public health. If we want to make real progress in reducing teen vaping rates, we need to close this online sales gap. The Oregon Poison Center is working with local and state public health partners in Oregon to track and monitor the national outbreak of respiratory illnesses related to the use of vaping devices and e-cigarettes. Symptoms of an e-cigarette and vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI) include coughing, chest pain, and difficulty breathing after vaping. If you feel sick after vaping, seek medical attention immediately. If you have questions about how vaping affects your health, ask your doctor or call the Poison Control Centre at 1-800-222-1222.

Visit the Oregon Health Authority or the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for more information about EVALI. A licence is required for the sale of tobacco and vaping products. In 2015, 18 percent of high school students in Alaska used e-cigarettes. Across the state, Alaskans must be 19 to legally purchase tobacco products and e-cigarettes. The legal age to purchase tobacco products in the cities of Anchorage and Sitka is 21. Visit the Alaska Department of Health`s e-cigarette website for more information. Talk to your teens about the health effects of nicotine and e-cigarettes. They can influence their decision to stop vaping or not to use e-cigarettes. Protect their health and future by equipping yourself with information for this important conversation. “I started smoking when I was 18 and it was legal,” Matt said. “So I got used to it, and now the law has changed.

Tobacco is still the leading cause of death in Oregon. Tobacco companies spend more than $100 million a year on Oregon retail to market their products to Oregon children and teens, making it harder for smokers to quit. To learn more about how the tobacco industry markets its products in Oregon and what the people of Oregon are doing to create a smoke-free Oregon, visit www.smokefreeoregon.com.