Public hearing on bill to ban flavored vape products

Senator Fisher is pushing the legislation because Guam, he says, has a very serious problem.

“We have the highest per capita use of vape among children in the world. Not just in Micronesia, not just in Australasia. In the world. No one beats Guam for the use of vape. It's the saddest, saddest, possible statistic,” Fisher expressed.

He added that despite the protestations of those who sell e-cigarettes that their products are strictly meant for adults, Fisher said they've clearly been making their way to children.

Fisher said, “The vape industry will say, ‘oh we're not marketing to children, there's no marketing, there's no newspaper, no TV, etc. and so forth but the truth of the matter is the product is marketing itself. You buy a vape device, it'll have dancing bears on it, it's gonna be in fuschia or bright green or something like that. The entire product is designed to lure and addict children, because the industry is trying to insulate itself from the collapse of the combustible market. They need to develop a new market.”

The harmful health effects of nicotine such as cancer or lung disease are well documented, he says, and that's what children need to be protected from.

“Do children understand that the reason they keep reaching for the vape is not necessarily because they like the flavor of strawberry, it's because they become addicted to nicotine. That’s why they keep reaching for the vape. And there's no other explanation for it,” Fisher said.

So the bottom line for Senator Fisher, “We're going to do everything we possibly can to stop selling poison to children. That's what this bills about.”

The hearing is set for Thursday afternoon.