SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced executive actions Monday to curb the sale of flavored e-cigarettes.
Newsom said his administration was taking the initiative after efforts in the State Legislature to address the issue fell short and no bills were delivered to him to sign.He said his office will take three major actions.
"Number one, we're going to considerably increase our enforcement of counterfeit products and those that are currently abusing the law and are allowing access to these products to our children," Newsom explained. "Number two, we're going to significantly review and consider increasing the warning signage not only in retail establishments, but to broadly consider warning as it relates to potential packaging."
Newsom also explained his administration would be directing funds to a third project.
"We're also pursuing a $20 million, and this is a minimum, I think it will be substantially higher, but we're starting with a $20 million advertising campaign," Newsom said. "We're going to focus our marketing campaign on targeting this epidemic of vaping in the state of California."
Newsom said his office estimates that there are 15,500 flavored e-liquid products currently available on the market. He also said the state has seen use skyrocket among children in high schools and middle schools across the state.
Many people expected a total ban on flavored e-cigarette products across the state. Newsom, however, explained his office didn't have the power to do so.
Brian Heacox, president of Doomsday Gourmet vape shop on Auburn Boulevard in Sacramento, was listening closely to Newsom's press conference. He said a total ban would be devastating to his business.
"If flavors are gone, then our entire business model falls apart," Heacox admitted. "Of the 2,300 regular customers I have, I have exactly one who vapes unflavored nicotine."
Newsom also said his administration is looking into whether there's room for additional taxation.
"We also are reviewing our tax policy," Newsom said. "I want to see how far we can go legislatively. It's open-ended on how far we can go, but we're going to push the envelope."
Heacox didn't like this rhetoric from the governor.
"We're already being taxed more than cigarettes," Heacox said. "We're not sure how much further we can go and how much we can bare."
Jim Knox, vice president of government relations with the American Cancer Society, attended Newsom's press conference. He believes more needs to be done.
"We're pleased that the governor's engaged, but this executive order falls far short of what really needs to be done with flavored tobacco," Knox said. "We know what's driving this unprecedented surge in youth tobacco use. It's flavors. What we need to do is get flavored tobacco products, all flavored tobacco products off of the shelves."
Knox said he knows the battle against the vaping industry's influence is going to be an uphill battle.
"It's going to be a struggle because we do now have a whole generation of kids who are addicted to nicotine, often at higher levels than traditional cigarettes," Knox said. "And we're going to have to come up with solutions to help those kids get off their nicotine addictions."