TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A bill proposed in the Indiana State Senate could outlaw the selling of flavored e-liquids used in vaping devices.
According Indiana State Senator Ron Grooms, he wrote the bill to help eliminate something he feels makes smoking appealing. His hope is this will improve the overall health of Hoosiers.
Sarah Knoblock, Vigo County Tobacco Prevention and Cessation coordinator, said she feels vaping could lead to the use of real cigarettes.
“Showing that public health really matters and that this is the number one preventable cause of death,” Knoblock said.
Peggy Wesley-Fitzthum, president of Cozmic Cloudz in Terre Haute, said she feels vaping is healtier than other products sold in the state.
“We’re still selling cigarettes and we’re still selling alcohol,” she said. “So, I don’t think the bill is really about health concerns.”
Most of Wesley-Fitzthum’s e-liquid sales are flavored. She is worred about her business if this ban was to pass.
“The majority of the e-liquid that we sale is flavored and you can basically get any flavor of e-liquid,” Wesley-Fitzthum said.
Knoblock said that the flavoring is what makes vaping attractive to young adults.
“Teenagers and young adults who use vaping products use flavored producst,” Knoblock said. “It’s something like 97%. It’s a very high amount that use flavored products.”
While they disagree on the ban, Wesley-Fitzthum and Knoblock both agree on the need to eliminate tobacco products.
“E-liquids is definitely a part of a bigger problem,” Knoblock said.
Wesley-Fitzthum says that vaping could help people quit smoking.
“If a smoker comes in here and wants to quit smoking in 30 days, if they start vaping, 99.9% of the poeple that walk in here, after 30 days, will tell you how much better they feel,” she said.
