GOP lawmaker wants to ban ‘illegal Chinese vapes’ in Arizona

Vapes shaped like school supplies or featuring characters like SpongeBob or the Minions may soon be illegal in Arizona if one Republican lawmaker gets her way. 

State Sen. Shawnna Bolick, who represents north Phoenix, is looking to strengthen the state’s tobacco laws by cracking down on vape products, with a specific focus on products with flashy packaging that may be advertised to kids and “illegal Chinese vape products,” according to a press release. 

“Anyone who follows the law should support this,” Bolick wrote in the release. “Sadly, hundreds of vape shops in Arizona don’t, and I expect their opposition. I have zero tolerance for businesses that act like the law doesn’t apply to them.”

While illegal Chinese vape products aren’t specifically mentioned in Bolick’s bill, her legislation aims to shut down the proliferation of illegal vape products from China into Arizona — or from anywhere, for that matter. 

If passed, Bolick’s bill would require out-of-state vape wholesalers to provide proper federal documentation to the Arizona Department of Revenue, including proof of the products’ manufacturing locations. If retailers can’t provide this documentation, their products will be “immediately seized and destroyed,” per the release. The bill would also empower state agencies to trace the origins of these products, seize illegal shipments and shut down retailers who refuse to comply with the law. 

Bolick isn’t the only public official warning about these products. Democrat Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has been on a crusade against vape retailers and products targeting sales toward children, especially through the sale of brightly colored, cartoon-shaped vapes. 

In July, Mayes announced she was suing two Valley vape retailers for illegally selling vapes to kids after they were busted by her office’s underage volunteers. In December, one of those companies was forced to pay $460,000 for its conduct and to sign a consent judgment to implement reforms. 

In a statement to Phoenix New Times, Bolick said this issue came to her attention after she attended a briefing on “illicit tobacco products being dumped into the market,” which she said was being done by “transnational criminal groups” looking to “fund international terrorism around the world while exacerbating our youth’s health and addiction problems.” 

Bolick tried to pass similar legislation two years ago with a strike-everything amendment, but the legislation was held up in the Arizona House of Representatives. 

“Kids are gaining access to illegal flavors that are highly addictive and not legal in the U.S.,” Bolick wrote. “I hope we are able to raise public awareness, so parents know what types of harmful and illegal products are being sold to our youth through ‘friends’ in their schools.” 

In addition to compelling retailers to prove where they’re getting their products, the bill would ban vape devices that look like characters aimed at kids, including characters from cartoons, video games and comic books. The bill would also ban devices that look like toys, school supplies, makeup products, cell phones or video game controllers. For any violations, wholesalers or retailers could face fines of up to $10,000 per vape and “immediate seizure,” per to the press release.

Bolick also warned that these “illicit” products aren’t regulated, resulting in some products being laced with varying levels of THC. Last year, Bolick said she went to a vape shop with an undercover law enforcement officer who told her about the high potency of the products they purchased.

So, SpongeBob-shaped vapes, beware. Your days may be numbered.