GOP lawmaker wants to ban ‘illegal Chinese vapes’ in Arizona

Vapes shaped like school supplies or featuring characters like SpongeBob or the Minions may soon be illegal in Arizona if one Republican lawmaker gets her way. 

State Sen. Shawnna Bolick, who represents north Phoenix, is looking to strengthen the state’s tobacco laws by cracking down on vape products, with a specific focus on products with flashy packaging that may be advertised to kids and “illegal Chinese vape products,” according to a press release. 

“Anyone who follows the law should support this,” Bolick wrote in the release. “Sadly, hundreds of vape shops in Arizona don’t, and I expect their opposition. I have zero tolerance for businesses that act like the law doesn’t apply to them.”

While illegal Chinese vape products aren’t specifically mentioned in Bolick’s bill, her legislation aims to shut down the proliferation of illegal vape products from China into Arizona — or from anywhere, for that matter.