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Utah Health Department Limits Nicotine Levels In Vape Pods To 3%
In July 2021, The Utah Department of Health was considering a regulation to limit the amount of nicotine in vape pods to 3 percent. Prior to this rule, vape shops and local gas stations sold vape pods, smaller than the size of a quarter, with concentrated nicotine levels equal to an entire pack of cigarettes. To make matters worse, retailers advertise these pods directly to kids with bright colors, fruit flavors, and bargain prices.
In the lead up to their committee vote, the health department began receiving thousands of emails from the tobacco lobby. Drug Safe Utah rallied concerned citizens and fought back. An email campaign was used to contact 175,000 individuals, inviting them to send their own comments to the Department of Health. In the end, between emailed comments, letters to legislators and social media influence, Drug Safe Utah and its allies were able to influence the decision and make the new 3 percent rule a reality.
In the lead up to their committee vote, the health department began receiving thousands of emails from the tobacco lobby. Drug Safe Utah rallied concerned citizens and fought back. An email campaign was used to contact 175,000 individuals, inviting them to send their own comments to the Department of Health. In the end, between emailed comments, letters to legislators and social media influence, Drug Safe Utah and its allies were able to influence the decision and make the new 3 percent rule a reality.
PRESS RELEASE:
SUPPORT 3% E-CIGARETTE NICOTINE RULE, CITIZENS GROUP URGES
SALT LAKE CITY — Targeting big tobacco companies, Coalition for Tobacco Free Youth is calling on all Utahns to urge Utah Department of Health officials to prohibit tobacco retailers in Utah from selling a manufacturer-sealed electronic cigarette product with a nicotine concentration greater than three percent nicotine by weight.
Today’s nicotine content limit is five percent nicotine by weight, but advocates for tobacco-free teens want Utahns to let UDOH know they support the less potent three percent nicotine rule.
“It is paramount that we do all we can to protect Utah youth ages 13 to 18 from vaping products with high nicotine levels,” said Michael Siler, president of Coalition for Tobacco Free Youth. “The simple action of emailing tobaccorulescomments@utah.gov and telling officials that you support the three percent rule, which is amendment filing 53559, can help our youth immeasurably.
“Driven by financial profits, the vape industry and retail merchants are intensely targeting the Utah Department of Health officials today with their comments to keep Utah’s e-cigarette nicotine levels at the higher five percent level.”
A manufacturer sealed electronic cigarette product is an electronic cigarette that is sold prefilled with an electronic cigarette substance, such as nicotine in Juul type pods.
“One small, five percent Juul pod contains the nicotine equivalent of one pack of 20 cigarettes,” said Siler. “In Utah alone, nearly 31,000 or 12.4 percent of youth ages 13 to 18 use vaping products on a regular basis.”
Juul with high nicotine levels is the e-cigarette brand preferred by 25.4 percent of middle and high school students in Utah today.
“The rise in e-cigarette use by adolescents is attributed to Juul and similar products because they can be used discreetly and have a high-nicotine content,” he said. “It’s no secret that an electronic cigarette with a higher concentration of nicotine has a greater likelihood of being more addictive.
“When you email your comments, write something like ‘Please Adopt Amendments to R384-14 Set Forth in Proposed Amendments Filing 53559’. That alone will go a long way to helping protect Utah’s youth.”
To learn more about the addictive nature of nicotine and read the UDOH’s proposed rule, visit stopbigtobacco.org.
Today’s nicotine content limit is five percent nicotine by weight, but advocates for tobacco-free teens want Utahns to let UDOH know they support the less potent three percent nicotine rule.
“It is paramount that we do all we can to protect Utah youth ages 13 to 18 from vaping products with high nicotine levels,” said Michael Siler, president of Coalition for Tobacco Free Youth. “The simple action of emailing tobaccorulescomments@utah.gov and telling officials that you support the three percent rule, which is amendment filing 53559, can help our youth immeasurably.
“Driven by financial profits, the vape industry and retail merchants are intensely targeting the Utah Department of Health officials today with their comments to keep Utah’s e-cigarette nicotine levels at the higher five percent level.”
A manufacturer sealed electronic cigarette product is an electronic cigarette that is sold prefilled with an electronic cigarette substance, such as nicotine in Juul type pods.
“One small, five percent Juul pod contains the nicotine equivalent of one pack of 20 cigarettes,” said Siler. “In Utah alone, nearly 31,000 or 12.4 percent of youth ages 13 to 18 use vaping products on a regular basis.”
Juul with high nicotine levels is the e-cigarette brand preferred by 25.4 percent of middle and high school students in Utah today.
“The rise in e-cigarette use by adolescents is attributed to Juul and similar products because they can be used discreetly and have a high-nicotine content,” he said. “It’s no secret that an electronic cigarette with a higher concentration of nicotine has a greater likelihood of being more addictive.
“When you email your comments, write something like ‘Please Adopt Amendments to R384-14 Set Forth in Proposed Amendments Filing 53559’. That alone will go a long way to helping protect Utah’s youth.”
To learn more about the addictive nature of nicotine and read the UDOH’s proposed rule, visit stopbigtobacco.org.
Vaping debate returns in Utah; nicotine levels could be cut
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — It was one of the hottest issues in Utah—then COVID hit.
Now the vaping debate is back, over a new proposed state health department rule that would cut nicotine in a “manufacturer sealed electronic cigarette product” from 5% to 3%.
Attorney Walter Plumb, head of Drug Safe Utah, said he supports the lower nicotine level to protect minors.
Click here to watch the video
Now the vaping debate is back, over a new proposed state health department rule that would cut nicotine in a “manufacturer sealed electronic cigarette product” from 5% to 3%.
Attorney Walter Plumb, head of Drug Safe Utah, said he supports the lower nicotine level to protect minors.
Click here to watch the video
Juul Pod = Pack of Cigarettes
On the evening of March 4th a postcard by Drug Safe Utah with a real Juul vape pod and cigarette package was given to each Utah State Senator with a message to pass Senate Bill 37 (SB 37) with .87 excise tax on vape pods.
The CDC Identifies the Likely Culprit of Vape-Related Lung Illnesses

In the latest vaping health-scare update, the CDC released new laboratory findings that suggest vitamin E acetate is the "potential chemical of concern." The CDC announced that it analyzed fluid samples taken from the lungs of 29 patients in 10 states, and vitamin E acetate was found in all 29 samples. Previous research from the CDC found that vitamin E, when inhaled, may interfere with normal lung function.
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