Blue Razz Ice. Baja Slushie. Rainbow Candy. Mother’s Milk and Cookies.
These are not the names of the old Strawberry Shortcake dolls that you might remember from your childhood. And they are not the flavors of a Slurpee one might buy at a local 7-11. These are names of something far more dangerous.
They are vape flavors that are found on the shelves of gas stations and smoke shops all across the country. It is not coincidental that these names sound like candy that a child would buy at a convenience store. These vapes contain harmful and addictive substances and are being marketed to our children.
During the last decade, efforts of unscrupulous companies to addict our youth to nicotine products have become frighteningly sophisticated. Gone are the old days of Joe Camel or the now-humorous cigarette advertisements with doctors in exam rooms musing about which brand they prefer to smoke. We now have a new fight on a different frontier.
Vape companies routinely spin out new catchy flavors seemingly designed to entice children into purchasing these addictive products. If successful, they may acquire a customer for life and could put our children at risk for nicotine addiction. American markets are now flooded with cheap, illegal products, mostly from China, that contain untested ingredients that may never pass a health and safety inspection. Some of these products even “gamify” vaping, containing built-in video games and Bluetooth speakers.
Utah has a history of leadership when it comes to protecting the health and safety of our children. This includes things like challenging tech giants for engineering addictive algorithms or investing significant resources to combat online sexual exploitation. Utah also recently sued Snapchat, an online social media platform in which minors routinely connect with adult dealers of illegal vaping paraphernalia.
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Just a few months ago, Utah scored a major victory when the Office of the Utah Attorney General successfully defended the constitutionality of Utah’s new law banning flavored vapes entirely.
Illegal disposable vapes have also flooded our country and vendors have targeted our kids with candy flavors, deceptive marketing and dangerously high nicotine levels at prices that are more easily affordable. Research shows that e-cigarette products have become more potent and cheaper, and most of this surge comes from a device that is most popular with young people: disposable e-cigarettes.
This is not a minor enforcement problem; it is a national crisis that threatens the health and well-being of our young people. Public health progress is unraveling before our eyes because of these illegal products. And the companies pushing them are doing it with virtually no oversight and no concern for the communities they harm.
Just a few months ago, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary issued a statement indicating that as much as 54% of all vaping products sold nationally are illegal. Yet these same illegal products are being sold openly in stores nationwide. And when foreign manufacturers simply bypass our public health safeguards and ship millions of unregulated nicotine products and devices directly into the hands of everyday Americans, including children, they undermine not only public health but also the rule of law.
Illegal vapes are not harmless devices, and we cannot treat them as such. Many of them not only violate FDA rules but also break labeling and consumer protection laws.
By banning flavored vapes in 2024, Utah took decisive action. We stopped the flood of these products into the pockets of middle and high school students, many of whom are now struggling with nicotine addiction before they can even drive. As parents ourselves, we understand firsthand how important it is to equip children with tools for success — and that certainly does not involve hamstringing them with one more addiction.
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Kids use e-cigarettes more than any other tobacco product, and they have been doing so for over a decade. Frequent use among middle and high school students shows clear signs that persistent nicotine dependence has already infiltrated their childhoods. Nicotine harms developing brains and nicotine addiction can amplify feelings of anxiety, depression and stress. This is the last thing we need as our youth face an ongoing mental health epidemic.
One Ohio assistant principal said that students are “self-medicating” as they use these products. “Vaping gives them a dopamine hit, a break from stress, a moment of comfort,” the assistant principal said in a recent Truth Initiative report. Educators from across the country describe what’s happening: vaping in bathrooms, hallways and classrooms. They see products hidden in tampon dispensers, ceiling tiles and backpacks. One teacher said, “Vaping is everywhere in schools now — like the stories from 40 years ago about smoking.”
Utah has set an example for states across the country to follow. We also believe that the federal government must take action. This includes using every tool to block imports, shut down illegal supply chains and hold accountable those who would profit from addicting America’s youth. States cannot do this alone.
That’s why Utah joined 28 other attorneys general calling on the Trump administration to take decisive action to stop the flow of illegal e-cigarettes — mostly coming from China — that are flooding American stores.
We must unite as concerned parents, frustrated educators and dedicated law enforcement officers to safeguard the next generation and send a clear message: If you sell illegal nicotine products in our country, you will be held accountable.
But we also can’t lose sight of the young people affected. As nearly 70% of them are looking to quit in 2026, we need to help them understand and show them they have a pathway to quitting. Truth Initiative offers a free curriculum called Vaping: Know the Truth, as well as EXProgram, a free, evidence-based resource that has helped millions of youth and adults develop the skills and confidence to quit.
It will take all of us, regardless of whether we work in the private sector or the public sector, or whether we are Republicans or Democrats, to come together and take decisive action. Let’s stand together, shoulder to shoulder, and become the change we want to see.
United, we have the power to stop the flood of illegal vapes and build a future where the next generation can grow up free from the grip of nicotine addiction.
Truth Initiative is a national nonprofit public health organization committed to a future free from lifelong addiction, fostering healthier lives and a more resilient nation. Young people can take the first step toward quitting by texting DITCHIT to 88709.
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