So We’re Banning Flavored Vapes, But Tobacco Is Still a Flavor? Okay, Cool.

Let’s take a moment to celebrate the latest masterstroke in public health policy: banning flavored vape juices and disposables. Because, obviously, the biggest threat to society isn’t alcohol, fast food, or, I don’t know, actual cigarettes. No—it’s the horror of someone enjoying a watermelon ice puff on their lunch break. God forbid adults like things that taste good. Truly, the logic is airtight. Let’s unpack this masterpiece of selective outrage and why banning flavored vapes is about as sensible as banning pizza because some people don’t like pineapple.

First off, let’s get one thing straight: vaping isn’t perfect. Nobody’s out here claiming it’s the equivalent of breathing Himalayan air. But the idea that banning flavors like strawberry or vanilla is going to magically fix society’s problems while tobacco-flavored vapes (and actual cigarettes, mind you) get a free pass? That’s the kind of mental gymnastics that deserves a gold medal in creative fiction. If the goal is harm reduction, why are we pretending tobacco isn’t the granddaddy of harmful flavors? Oh, right, because it’s traditional. Nothing says “health-conscious” like sticking to the classics, I guess.

Tobacco-flavored vapes. You know—a flavor. Because when it comes to protecting the kids, nothing says "we care" like leaving behind the one flavor directly associated with smoking actual cigarettes. Genius.

Top 5 Reasons Why Banning Flavored Vape Juice and Disposables is Peak Stupidity

Adults Like Flavors Too—Shocking, We Know.

• Newsflash: Grown adults are not out here craving menthol just for nostalgia.
• Mango, vanilla, blue razz—these aren’t kid-exclusive. You think 30-year-olds don’t like dessert?
• So, banning flavors pushes people back to tobacco—congratulations, you’ve just made things worse. Tobacco flavor? Still legal. Logic? Nowhere to be found.

Tobacco is a Flavor, Karen

• Let’s not kid ourselves—tobacco is a flavor, and it’s the one most directly tied to the smoking epidemic. Yet, somehow, it’s exempt from the ban hammer. So, we’re cool with vapes tasting like the thing that kills millions annually, but heaven forbid someone enjoys a puff of blueberry. Priorities, right?
• You don’t get to say you’re banning “all flavors” and then leave tobacco like it’s some flavorless void.
• “Unflavored” doesn’t mean “tastes like burnt cardboard.” It means no added flavor, and last time we checked, tobacco has a taste.
• Banning flavors treats grown adults like toddlers who can’t be trusted with a dessert menu. Meanwhile, tobacco flavor gets a nod because… tradition?

Smoking Is Still Legal, BTW.

• You can still walk into a gas station, buy a pack of Marlboros, and light up on the sidewalk like it’s 1985. But enjoy a peach vape? That’s crossing the line, apparently.
• It Misses the Point of Harm Reduction: Flavored vapes were literally invented to give smokers an alternative to combustible cigarettes. 

The Black Market Says “Thanks.”

• Banning flavors doesn’t stop demand; it just reroutes it into unregulated territory.
• Nothing screams “health-conscious” like sending people to sketchy back alleys or homemade brews from your cousin’s garage.
• It Fuels the Black Market: Prohibition 101: ban something people want, and they’ll find a way to get it. Banning flavored vapes doesn’t make them disappear; it just sends them underground, where there’s zero regulation, quality control, or safety. Good job, lawmakers—now we’ve got sketchy back-alley mango vapes. But tobacco? Still chillin’ at the gas station.

It Ignores the Point of Harm Reduction Entirely.

• Vaping helped millions of adults quit smoking. The key part? Flavors made the switch palatable.
• Taking away flavored options doesn’t make people healthier. It makes them go back to cigarettes. Slow clap.
• It’s inconsistent as Heck: If we’re banning flavors because they’re “appealing,” why stop at vapes? Alcohol comes in every flavor from watermelon to espresso martini, and nobody’s clutching their pearls over that. Tobacco flavor, though? Perfectly fine, because apparently it’s the sophisticated choice. Give me a break.

• Flavored vodkas? Totally fine.
• Sugary rum drinks with cartoon branding? Cheers!
• Grape Four Lokos? Be our guest.

Apparently, we’re mature enough to handle alcohol in every color and flavor under the sun—but give us a pink lemonade vape and suddenly it’s chaos in the streets.

If You’re Going to Ban Flavors, Be Consistent.

Either treat adults like adults or ban all flavors across the board. But leaving tobacco-flavored vapes on the shelf while demonizing anything that tastes remotely pleasant is not only hypocritical, it’s downright insulting. It’s like banning all ice cream except arsenic-flavored. If you’re going to come for vapes, at least be consistent and admit tobacco’s part of the problem. Until then, spare us the moral panic and let adults make their own choices—mango, menthol, or otherwise.