California voters passed Proposition 31 on Wednesday, which bans the sale of most flavored tobacco products in an effort to combat the use of tobacco among teens and young adults.
Despite the results still having yet to be finalized, the Associated Press called the race on Wednesday with 62.3% of the votes in favor of the proposition. Results would likely be certified by December 16, meaning that the law may be implemented as soon as December 21 of this year.
The ballot measure would uphold Senate Bill 793 signed by Governor Newsom in 2020 which passed with the intent of discouraging young people from vaping and smoking. The bill, however, was delayed after a referendum by a coalition representing the tobacco industry that qualified the proposal for the November 2022 midterm elections ballot.
A study by the University of Michigan reported in 2020 that the use of flavored tobacco products was becoming a prevalent issue with young adults and teens.
According to the study, “between 2017 and 2019, the 30-day prevalence of vaping nicotine increased from 6% to 22% among college students and from 8% to 18% among 19-to-22-year-olds not in college.”
Given the effect that this measure has on college-aged individuals, USC students weighed in with their views on the proposition.
“I think it’s a good step in the right direction, but they did that in New Jersey–where I’m from–and people who want a flavored vape will find a way around it,” Jennifer Lathrop, a sophomore studying communication, said.
Lathrop also spoke on the prevalence of vaping at USC.
“I think it’s a really big problem here. Even walking on campus, I see people vaping,” Lathrop said. “A lot of people I know vape. They’ll be upset by [Prop. 31] because it will be harder for them to buy the flavors they want, but I don’t think it will change their habits or make them stop vaping.”
A 2017 study conducted by the Tobacco Regulatory Science scientific journal found that getting rid of flavors in tobacco products would not completely eradicate e-cigarette or other tobacco use among young people, but has the potential to substantially reduce the use of said products when flavor is no longer a factor.
Student-run organizations will also be affected by Prop. 31. Duffl and Handle, two student-run companies that supply quick delivery services of common goods to USC students, will likely be impacted by the implementation of Prop. 31 as well. Both companies offer an array of flavored nicotine products for delivery on their websites and many USC students rely on them for quick delivery.
Chase Robbins, a junior in the Iovine and Young Academy who is a co-founder and the CEO of Handle, isn’t too concerned about the impact that Prop. 31 will have on the company’s sales.
“Disposable tobacco devices like those targeted by Prop. 31 make up a small portion of our overall sales,” Robbins said. “This ban will not have a significant impact on our business. Our customers primarily use Handle to order products like snacks, drinks, ice cream and other food products.”
Robbins also doubts that Prop. 31 will have an impact on youth tobacco use.
However, Stefano Cafatti, the Duffl marketing admiral and a senior studying business administration, said that flavored vapes are one of the company’s top-selling products.