The Risks of Vaping

Vaping has rapidly emerged as a significant public health crisis, especially among young people. Initially marketed as a safer alternative to traditional smoking, vaping is now known to pose serious health risks. As evidence of these dangers mounts, the Wisconsin state government has a responsibility to take more meaningful actions to protect public health.

Public Health Risks

In 2018, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine reported that the substances in e-cigarettes, like propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, were toxic to users, and led to youths choosing to start smoking traditional tobacco.  During a severe outbreak in 2019, the American Medical Association linked more than 2,000 lung illnesses and over 40 deaths to e-cigarette usage.  

Equally troubling are the dangers posed to non-users. Secondhand emissions from e-cigarettes, according to the U.S. Surgeon General, contain harmful substances like nicotine, diacetyl (linked to serious lung diseases), benzene (a carcinogen) and heavy metals like lead. These emissions, inhaled by anyone in the vicinity of the vaper, create a public health risk—particularly for children, pregnant women and those with preexisting respiratory conditions.

Impact on Youth

The rise in vaping among young people is particularly alarming. The same National Academies’ report found that youth who use e-cigarettes are at higher risk for respiratory issues like coughing, wheezing and asthma attacks. Nicotine is highly addictive and early exposure to nicotine can also increase the likelihood of addiction to traditional cigarettes or other harmful substances.

Flavored e-cigarettes also play a major role in attracting teens as the fruity, mint and candy taste masks the harshness of nicotine, making it easier to start vaping. The 2022 Wisconsin Tobacco Youth Survey found that 92 percent of Wisconsin high schoolers say they would not use unflavored tobacco products. While some states have implemented flavor restrictions, Wisconsin has yet to take significant action on this front.

Wisconsin’s Legislative Response

While other states have moved to limit vaping, Wisconsin's response has been slower. As of 2024, 19 states (and the District of Columbia) have laws banning e-cigarette use in indoor public spaces like restaurants, bars and workplaces. Wisconsin currently has no statewide restrictions on indoor vaping to protect non-users from secondhand emissions. 
 
In Wisconsin, just last year, Senate Bill 268 was passed into law to require retailers who sell electronic vaping devices to obtain a cigarette and tobacco products retailer license. Several amendments to strengthen the bill failed, but it thankfully passed into law as Wisconsin Act 73 on December 7, 2023. 

This law will help control who gets to sell vaping products, and it ensures that sellers are adhering to age restrictions, reducing the likelihood that minors can easily purchase vaping products. This is a good first step toward prevention, but more can be done to protect our public health. 

Wisconsin should do more for prevention efforts. We should follow the lead of states like Minnesota and enact excise taxes on vaping products to discourage use, particularly among young people. Other measures should include removing flavored e-cigarettes from the market and banning the sale of all vaping products that are not approved by the FDA.

The health risks of vaping are undeniable, and the impact on Wisconsin’s youth is particularly troubling, and it’s clear that vaping is not the “safe” alternative it was once thought to be. 

The Wisconsin state legislature must act swiftly to implement stricter regulations on sales, taxes and public vaping to protect our youth and the wider public. Addressing this issue now is crucial to protecting our kids and keeping them healthy.