A new law went into effect Sept. 1 in Wisconsin that limited the vape products sold to the those that have been approved by the FDA, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. The law was passed by the state in 2023 — however, it was then sued by Wisconsinites for Alternatives to Smoking and Tobacco, so it was not implemented until this fall, according to WPR.
This has limited the vape market to the 39 products that have been approved by the FDA and about 160 others that are still waiting for FDA approval, president of WiscoFAST and Johnny Vapes owner Tyler Hall said. Vape shop owners have seen up to an 80% reduction in sales and revenue, Hall said.
“The biggest thing is we don’t have as many options to be able to supply people that are trying to quit smoking cigarettes,” Hall said.
He anticipates more people with nicotine addictions will be turning to cigarettes and chewing tobacco as vape stores continue having their products limited.
This law has banned vapes that are particularly appealing to young adults, including vapes with video games and Bluetooth connectivity to cellphones, researcher at the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention Brian Williams said. Products that remain legal do not have the same appeal to young adults, so the hope is that young adult e-cigarette use will decrease, Williams said.
“The FDA has an approval process for which e-cigarettes are allowed to be sold on the market,” Williams said. “All the Wisconsin legislation is doing is really bringing state statutes in line with those FDA-approved products.”
Vaping still exposes the lungs and body to chemicals and other irritants that cause lung inflammation, despite the common conception that vapes are less harmful than cigarettes, Williams said. A small number of those chemicals are also known to cause cancer. Additionally, Williams said nicotine addiction can be miserable for young adults and can worsen mental health symptoms.
Over the past few years, Williams said rates of e-cigarette use in high school students have decreased — but in young adults, it has remained the same and even slightly increased. He said that the rate of young adult vaping is currently at 10 to 15% and has not seen any downward trends.
“E-cigarette use in young adults has really been concerning over the past few years and has really flown under the radar,” Williams said.
Young adulthood is an important time for preparing an individual for lifelong success, but nicotine can cause mental and physical health issues that derail this preparation for success, Williams said. UW has a goal of having an informed and educated student body that is prepared to pursue what they want and preventing nicotine and other substance addictions is a part of that, Williams said.
There are resources available at UW that are free for students who want to quit using e-cigarettes or other substances, assistant director for High-Risk Drinking Prevention at University Health Services Jenny Damask. UHS has a nicotine cessation program where students can make an appointment to receive help in quitting nicotine, Damask said.
“There are resources to quit while here at UW that are free to students where you won’t always have the resources for free, depending on what you’re seeking,” Damask said.
UHS also provides free quit lines that students can text to receive help in formulating a plan for quitting, Damask said. There are also resources outside of the university that are free or low-cost, depending on the student’s insurance, Damask said.
Beyond the impacts that vaping has on the user, Damask said there are also environmental impacts. She said that e-cigarettes are neither biodegradable nor recyclable, so they produce a significant amount of waste and sometimes litter.
98% of young adults who have never vaped agree vaping is not good for their health and the planet, but many undergraduate students continue to use vape products, Damask said.
In 2016, the National College Health Assessment found the rate of undergraduates who had used vape products to be around 10%. In 2024, Damask said they found that rate to be 19%. This rise could be linked to the marketing of e-cigarettes to teens and young adults that began around 2016, Damask said.
Policy is an important tool for those who work in public health, so Damask is optimistic about Wisconsin’s law. The number of people who smoke has decreased following UW’s smoke-free policy inside buildings, so Damask said there is hope that e-cigarette use will decrease following this law.
“I will always advocate for good policies that promote public health, so not just the health of individuals, but the health of everyone,” Damask said.
