Valley City Potential E-Cigarettes Regulations

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Valley City is setting the chains in motion for a new ban on e–cigarettes. Officials are considering measures that would restrict their sales.

Bonnie Joe was a cigarette smoker but like many decided to try e–cigarettes as a so–called “healthier” alternative.

Bonnie Joe Conley Hanson says “I thought it was better for me.”

After trying e–cigarettes, she found benefits that kept her vaping and never looking back.

She adds, “I like it. It’s better than smoking. I don’t smell bad. I don’t feel as bad as I used to. I don’t plan to go back to using cigarettes.”

Her time with the menthol flavored cigarette alternative may be coming to an end as Valley City is looking to regulate it and cut out all flavor availability in an effort to protect youth.

City-County Health District Tobacco Prevention Coordinator Vicki Voldal Rosenau says, “Many – many flavors that absolutely appeal to young children…bubble gum is one of them. I don’t know of any middle aged person who will be attracted to inhaling something because it is bubblegum.”

The concern is flavor options attracting the younger generation to try e–cigarettes and later gravitating to the real thing.

Rosenau adds, “We know by the studies that are piling up that some of the young people who are loosely using what we’ll call e–cigarettes weren’t using nicotine before. They were not smoking tobacco cigarettes. This looks like fun.”

If the ban on e–cigarettes goes into effect it will now be illegal to sell to a minor, flavors will become unavailable and a distributor will need to have a license.

She remarks, “We are absolutely fighting hard to regulate at least as thoroughly as tobacco cigarettes.

As for Bonnie Joe, an adult e–cigarette user, she says the possible restrictions in Valley City won’t affect her…she’ll just go elsewhere to find her flavors.

Hanson adds, “I don’t know if I would continue or not because…I probably would get them from Fargo. I get a lot of it from Fargo now.”

If the e–cigarettes ban is passed it will go into effect before the end of the year.