A new law in North Carolina, House Bill 900, has taken effect, prohibiting the sale of most popular disposable vaping products across the state as of Tuesday, July 1st. Signed into law last year by former Governor Roy Cooper, the legislation restricts retailers to selling only those vape products that have received a form of approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The law, which technically went into effect on May 1st but included a 60-day grace period, mandates that for a vape product to be legally sold, it must either have full FDA marketing authorization or have a premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) filed and pending review with the agency. This effectively removes many popular disposable vape brands like Lost Mary and Elf Bar from shelves, as they lack the required FDA status. The law does not apply to products containing THC.
Retailers had until June 29th to pull non-compliant products and now require a specific license from the Department of Revenue to continue selling vapes legally. This change aims to align North Carolina with federal standards and limit youth access to unregulated products, as data shows 1 in 8 North Carolina high school students vape.
The ban has already impacted businesses, with some vape shop employees reporting a 30% drop in sales and noting they may increase their focus on legal THC or hemp vapes. While some retailers and customers were surprised by the empty shelves, others, like convenience store worker Mohammad Ahmed, expressed they were not sorry to see most of the products go due to health concerns. The law’s enforcement falls under the State Department of Revenue, though questions about the specifics of its implementation remain. Meanwhile, makers of the banned products have reportedly asked federal courts to put the new state law on hold.
- News source: North Carolina begins ban on popular disposable vapes not approved by the FDA, starting July 1
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