On September 26, the Clermont Police Department conducted a joint enforcement operation with the State of Florida’s Office of the Attorney General, the Florida Division of Alcohol, Beverages and Tobacco, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services into the sale and distribution of banned products, such as vapes, or “e-cigarettes.”

In this collaborative effort, members of the Clermont Police Department and personnel from these agencies conducted an operation focusing on smoke shops within the City of Clermont, who were believed to be marketing and selling vape products that are banned in the State of Florida along with other illegal products.

This joint operation was organized in an effort to investigate the growing issue that is the use of e-cigarettes, or vapes, by minors, in particular the illegal sale of such devices to those under 21 years of age. This is the first operation of its kind in the State of Florida following the announcement by the Florida Attorney General of a vape ban registry, utilizing a collaborative effort between local law enforcement, the Florida Attorney General, the Florida Division of Alcohol, Beverages and Tobacco, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2024, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among middle and high school students in the United States. Approximately 1.6 million students currently use e-cigarettes. This includes over 400,000 middle school students and about 1.25 million high school students.

Among students who currently use e-cigarettes, about 90% use flavored e-cigarettes. Nearly 27% use an e-cigarette every single day. The CDC also warns about the health concerns surrounding the use of e-cigarettes as the devices contain many cancer-causing chemicals and dangerous traces of heavy metals such as nickel, tin and even lead.

Continued use of e- cigarettes or vapes can cause serious and sometimes irreversible damage to one’s lungs. Flavorings such as diacetyl, a chemical linked to a serious lung disease and nicotine, a highly addictive chemical that can harm adolescent brain development.

Under Florida law, it is unlawful for any person under 21 years of age to knowingly possess any tobacco product. It is also illegal to sell or distribute nicotine products to anyone under the age of 21. Retailers must display a sign stating this law and proof of age is required for purchase. In addition, according to the Office of the Attorney General’s Florida Vape Ban Registry, nicotine dispensing devices that meet the following criteria are now considered contraband:

• Those designed so that it is easy for minors to use and to conceal and/or uses or resembles the trade dress of a branded food product, consumer food product, or logo of a food product.
• Those that are marketed in a manner that uniquely appeals to minors.
• or those that use actual copyrights, service marks, or trademarks or fake copyrights, service marks, or trademarks that resemble consumer or food products popular with minors, including the names
  of candy or cereal products.

As a result of yesterday’s joint operation in the City of Clermont, nearly 300 vapes were seized as well as over 650 Kratom/7-OH product packages. Several other packages of Kratom related products were held by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for further investigation. In addition, the Florida Division of Alcohol, Beverages and Tobacco made two (2) arrests in the form of “Notice to Appear” citations for the sale of prohibited items to a person under the age of 21.

“We are dedicated to ensuring the safety, health, and well-being of our community’s youth” stated Chief Graczyk of the Clermont Police Department. “This joint operation with the Florida Attorney General’s Office, the Florida Division of Alcohol, Beverages and Tobacco, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services demonstrates our commitment to the community to investigate and eradicate dangerous situations and protect our youth.”

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