When I was in middle school, my father warned me about the dangers of smoking. His relentless resistance to cigarette use began after he saw its deteriorating effects on my late grandmother. Both his warnings and his difficulty breathing discouraged me from using cigarettes. I applied the same principle to e-cigarettes and vaping. Vaping became increasingly popular during my eighth grade year, and by my freshman year of high school, a large percentage of my peers possessed and hid their illegally obtained vape from both parents and school faculty members. This crowd of “vapers” continued to grow throughout high school with the introduction of new products like Juul, Infinix, and Sourin. This group has grown so large, in fact, that by the time I was a senior in high school I fell into a minority of students who didn't regularly use a vape. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Today I am grateful for my lack of susceptibility to peer pressure in the recent vaping epidemic that has swept the United States. According to Colin Dwyer in "Store Owners Resist State Vaping Bans as 'Death Sentence for Their Business,'" over 800 cases of lung damage have been reported across the country due to a history of e-cigarettes or vaporizers, twelve of which have resulted in deaths. These startling statistics have prompted the government to take action to suppress vaping use through a ban on e-cigarettes and e-cigarette flavors. These prohibitions; however, they are facing intense criticism. While San Diego believes more regulation of vaping products is necessary, it should not issue a citywide ban on all e-cigarette products because better alternatives exist to protect teens and still allow legal access to e-cigarettes. The FDA holds regulatory authority over vaping products. cigarette products, and although their main priority is to ban the sale of these products to minors, the recent vaping epidemic has prompted the Trump administration to propose a ban on e-cigarette flavors as well. Despite this, Trump is not the first to encourage a ban on e-cigarette flavors. Dwyer points out that Michigan led the ban on flavored vaping products, and other states have since followed suit. Likewise, Dwyer acknowledged additional measures taken by some states to halt sales of all vaping products, such as Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker. Governor Baker called the vaping epidemic a “public health emergency,” before banning the distribution of all vaping products for four months. Baker wants to properly diagnose the causes of recent lung-related outbreaks, better oversee the distribution of vaping products and protect the safety of his residents. Without federal support, both Baker's and the vape flavor bans are in direct violation of the Supremacy Clause, which states that the federal government is superior to the state government unless federal laws conflict with the Constitution. Because federal law is supreme, regardless of what a state wishes to do, it must remain within the confines of the Constitution, including the Supremacy Clause. These bans demonstrate executive overreach in violation of the separation of powers principles of the state constitution, and many property owners.
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