CHARLESTON, W.Va – State lawmakers looking to increase regulations on nicotine vaping products got a look inside the industry and West Virginia’s enforcement of current regulations during interim committee meetings earlier this week.
A panel discussion held before the legislature’s Joint Committee on Health shed light on issues like underage use of vapes, the sale of illegal products, and involvement with organized crime.
“Illicit vapes are not just about nicotine or kids sneaking a puff. Illegal vapes have become a low-risk, high-profit commodity for criminal organizations, both foreign and domestic,” AJ Lugo, a special investigator for the Tobacco Law Enforcement Network, said during his testimony.
The sale of illegal vapes, many of which come from China according to Lugo, became a si