Gov. Inslee’s Flavored Vape Ban Goes ‘Up in Smoke’

Governor Inslee suffered a significant political defeat Wednesday when the Washington State Senate failed to pass a bill that would have made his temporary ban on flavored vaping products permanent.

Senate Bill (SB) 6254 would have upheld Inslee's ban on the flavored vaping vials, he enacted the ban last fall after the Washington State Health Department advised him to do so.  Although researchers have not conclusively linked flavored vaping products to dozens (if not hundreds) of lung disease cases nationwide, they do believe it stems from Vitamin E being added to the fluids.  The vitamin in it's 'raw' form is sticky and added to the vaping fluid to give it more 'body.'

Vitamin E had only been found to be extensively used in flavored vaping fluids, not so much in traditional nicotine products. Some say it's because many of the flavored products come from overseas, and there's not a stringent USDA 'style' monitoring and quality assurance program like there is with other foods, candy, and drinks.

E can be eaten or consumed with beverages or in pill form. But there's little to no research about what it does when smoked.  Many researchers believe the lungs were not equipped to handle it's smoked effects, when inhaled.

However, the Senate did amend the bill to raise the flavored vaping sale age to 21, matching the laws regarding regular tobacco and traditional nicotine vaping products.

Inslee, according to sources, does not plan to persuade legislators to pursue a ban, and flavored vape products could be back in stores by this weekend.