#VapeBan

What it is: As hundreds of vaping-related illnesses continue to turn up (from which 6 have now died), the federal government has begun looking into a ban on most vaping products.

Why it’s reminiscent of 1920: The CDC has officially recommended that everyone consider “not using e-cigarette products” while they investigate the cause of said deaths and illnesses. Meanwhile, many are concerned that a ban would only make matters worse, either by driving the creation of a black market (a la 1920s prohibition), or by driving people back to Big Tobacco (which the CDC has already established leads to 480,000 deaths per year). Our encouragement to you: Don’t rely completely on federal prohibition policies to regulate vaping and other substances with your teen, but rather have ongoing conversations with them about these new developments and other known risks. (Our Parent Guides will definitely help.)