To the editor:

I am writing to share facts regarding flavored vape products and their impact on youth. As a certified prevention specialist, I see firsthand how flavored vapes attract adolescents through sweet flavors, discreet designs, and social trends. Legislation in the proposed Rhode Island state budget would reverse the current restriction on flavored electronic nicotine-delivery products (ENDS), including disposable vapes.

While some argue flavored vapes help people quit smoking, many youth using these products never smoked cigarettes before initiating nicotine use through vaping. Flavors such as “bubble gum,” “blue razz,” and “strawberry cream” strongly appeal to younger audiences, and the devices are easy to conceal at school and home.

Following Rhode Island’s 2019 flavored vape restrictions, CDC data showed major declines in youth e-cigarette use through 2023. Reversing the ban risks increasing youth nicotine addiction and undoing prevention progress.

Georgie Allott

Portsmouth Prevention Coalition