Smoke and vape shops in Pennsylvania face a deadline today to remove unapproved nicotine products or risk fines starting at $500 under Act 57
, Pa. —
Smoke and vape shops across Pennsylvania must remove nicotine products not approved under the Electronic Nicotine Delivery System by Monday or face fines starting at $500.
Under Act 57, manufacturers must submit initial certifications to have their products approved for sale. Products not on the attorney general’s approved list cannot be sold, and stores that continue to sell them will face penalties.
“We’re going to check in and make sure that we are doing everything we can do within our power and authority to make sure that those illegal, dangerous bait products that aren’t approved by the FDA and that are hurting children are no longer in these stores,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said.
Akram Al-Shabaab, a smoke shop owner, expressed concerns about how his business will survive under the new law. He said his store has already been impacted by the removal of skill games, kratom, and now nicotine products.
“The business is slow because it’s taken everything out, and a lot of people with any stores is gone because, like, no more machine game. I take the creating, like, other ones are very broad. Now everything’s got out, like, a lot of stuff. More intense stuff is taken out in that business,” Al-Shabaab said.
Some customers believe the law is unfair.
“I mean, they already raised the age from 18 to 21. I feel like that’s good enough. I mean, I don’t understand what more they want. We’re all adults, and we’re all able to make our own decisions,” Morgan Murphy, a customer from Oakland, said.
Joseph Aracari, chair of pediatrics for Allegheny Health Network, said vaping has increased over the last seven years.
“Hopefully, by restricting the accessibility to some of these vaping products, we will decrease the use by the adolescents, decrease the nicotine addiction that happens,” Aracari said.
Murphy believes people will travel to neighboring states like Ohio or Maryland to purchase products banned in Pennsylvania.