California Bans Sales of Disposable Vapes

Disposable vaping devices will be removed from California’s legal retail market, including stores in Simi Valley. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the statewide ban this week. A retailer or distributor that violates it can receive a $500 fine initially, with later penalties reaching $2,000.

Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, a Thousand Oaks Democrat, brought forward the measure because discarded e-cigarettes contain highly flammable lithium batteries that are difficult to remove. Those batteries can ignite in landfills and recycling centers, endangering workers. One such battery caused a 2016 blaze at a San Mateo County recycling facility. The incident cost $8.5 million and added nearly $3 million to the facility’s yearly insurance expense.

CDC figures put nationwide monthly sales of single-use vapes at roughly 12 million. Support came from healthcare and anti-smoking organizations, environmental advocates and waste management authorities. Nick Lapis of Californians Against Waste said residents can bear fire-related expenses through increased garbage bills and publicly funded cleanup work, making the issue relevant to Simi Valley households as well as waste workers.

The measure drew opposition from law enforcement and business organizations, including the California Chamber Of Commerce and California Business Roundtable, along with a group for gas stations and convenience stores. Alessandra Brichetto of the California Fuels & Convenience Alliance argued that restricting legal devices could steer buyers toward illicit products. Most Republican legislators opposed the bill as well.