Youth urge Hawaiʻi Legislature to take action and end sale of disposable e-cigarettes

More than 80 youth advocates from Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Maui, Molokaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island on Wednesday gathered at the state Capitol in Honolulu for an annual youth rally to “Take Down Tobacco.”

The students — along with community advocates — urged state lawmakers to take action to end the youth vaping epidemic.

They rallied during the national day of action around two bills: House Bill 2121 and Senate Bill 2175, which would end the sale of disposable e-cigarettes in Hawaiʻi.

Disposable e-cigarettes, in particular, create a dual crisis of severe environmental pollution and public health risks.

These e-cigarettes — said by opponents to be “designed for addiction” — contain high levels of nicotine, increasing the risk of dependence, especially among youth.

Sales of disposable electronic devices grew by 500% between 2019 and 2023, making them the most common type of device among young people.

“I was struck by how systematically [Big Tobacco] companies target Native Hawaiian youth, using sweet, enticing flavors to mask the reality of addiction,” said Kalaheo High School freshman Maya Butts of Oʻahu in a release following the rally. “At that moment, the abstract concept of advocacy became a personal mission. I realized that if our generation is the target, we must also be the ones leading the change for stricter state-level regulations.”

Disposable e-cigarettes also contribute to growing waste.

An estimated 5.7 devices are discarded every second in the United States, totaling more than 150 million each year.

Many contain lithium-ion batteries, heavy metals such as lead and nickel as well as toxic nicotine, which can leach into ecosystems.

“Youth have so much more power than they realize, and it’s important we use our experiences and our power to make the well-needed change,” said Kahemehameha Schools-Kapālama high school junior Iwalani Jones from Hawai‘i Island. “By participating in ‘Take Down Tobacco’ day, I hope to show the community that there are kids from all over this state, of all ages, who want a better future for the people of Hawaiʻi.”