Attorney General Jones, Former Senator Ebbin, Senator VanValkenburg, and Delegate Hope Hold Virtual Press Conference on Passage of Vape Enforcement Act

VIDEO: Attorney General Jones, Former Senator Ebbin, Senator VanValkenburg, and Delegate Hope Hold Virtual Press Conference on Passage of Vape Enforcement Act
New law closes enforcement loopholes, targets illegal vape sales, and keeps dangerous products out of Virginia schools, and keeps communities safe

Watch the video recording of the event HERE

Richmond, VA. – Attorney General Jay Jones today convened a virtual press conference with former Senator Adam Ebbin, Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg, and Delegate Patrick Hope to address the growing crisis of illegal and unregulated vape products in Virginia and to highlight the passage of HB 308 and SB 620, the “Vape Enforcement Act.”

During the press conference, speakers outlined how illegal vape products have spread across the Commonwealth, reaching students in schools and communities with little oversight and few consequences, and detailed how the new law will strengthen enforcement and close long-standing gaps.

“For too long, we’ve known what’s happening in our schools and communities,” said Attorney General Jay Jones. “You can walk into middle schools across the Commonwealth and see it. Teachers are confiscating vapes from bathrooms. Kids are sharing them. At the same time, unregulated products with unknown ingredients have been sitting on store shelves with no enforcement. That is unacceptable.”

Jones emphasized that while Virginia law already prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone under 21, weak enforcement allowed illegal sales to continue and a dangerous market to grow.

“This is a public health issue and a consumer protection issue, and one the bill patrons have been working tirelessly for years to address,” Attorney General Jones continued. “These products are marketed in ways that downplay the harm. They contain inconsistent levels of nicotine. Some contain substances consumers would never expect. And they have been getting into the hands of young people far too easily. The Vape Enforcement Act closes those loopholes and gives us the tools to stop it.”

Speakers also pointed to new data underscoring the scope of the issue. A Virginia Commonwealth University forensic toxicology study of more than 1,300 vape products collected from K-12 schools found that 83 percent contained nicotine, often at inconsistent levels, and some also contained alcohol—demonstrating how widespread and unregulated these products have become.

“I’ve worked with Delegate Hope for years to try to address this,” said former Senator Adam Ebbin. “During that time, we’ve heard from parents, educators, and public health experts who see the damage these products are causing every day. These highly addictive products are often marketed as safer alternatives, but they are doing real harm, especially to children. This legislation puts an end to the sale of unregulated products and ensures they are no longer slipping through the cracks.”

“Rates of youth vaping are at an all-time high, and I hear about it constantly—from parents, from students, and from communities across Virginia,” said Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg. “Teens know where to go to get these products without being carded. Shops have been able to operate without oversight and avoid accountability. That changes now. If you sell these products, you will be licensed, and if you break the law, you will be shut down.”

Delegate Patrick Hope emphasized both the collaborative effort behind the legislation and the enforcement approach moving forward.

“This press conference reflects years of work to close the gaps that allowed these products to proliferate,” said Delegate Patrick Hope. “This law strengthens our enforcement abilities and ensures that unregulated products are not sold and that bad actors are penalized for noncompliance. By empowering the Office of the Attorney General, Virginia ABC, and law enforcement, we now have the ability to investigate, enforce, and remove these products from circulation.”

A recording of the press conference is HERE.

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