Breaking the Law: Illegal E-cigarette Sales in Connecticut

Dec.09.2022

Westport smoke shops violating state laws for sales of nicotine and THC products, according to a recent report.

Although marijuana has been legalized in Connecticut, no stores in the state have been granted licenses to sell it. State law also requires all nicotine products to be kept behind store counters. Stores must also post notices about the legality of selling nicotine and THC products. Selling e-cigarette products within 500 feet of a residential area or church is illegal.

However, in Westport, all of these laws and regulations were broken.

This is the conclusion of the "West Port Tobacco Store Environmental Scan," recently conducted by Ben Fitzgerald of the Prevention Corps and Rachalle Ubaldo of Positive Directions. The results were submitted to the West Port Prevention Coalition on Tuesday.

Fitzgerald and Ubaldo visited six tobacco shops, gas stations, and convenience stores in Westport. The project was coordinated with the Westport Police Department.

The name of the company was not included in the report.

The two individuals conversed with a store clerk to learn about the popular products. They also attempted to make a purchase to see if their cards would be accepted.

Only three companies are registered to sell electronic cigarettes (also known as e-cigarettes or vape pens) in the state. Five of the stores are located within 500 feet of residential areas, while three are within 500 feet of a church. Three of the companies do not store all nicotine products behind the counter.

2FIRSTS will continue to cover this topic and update the latest developments on our mobile application, '2FIRSTSAPP'. Scan the QR code below to download the app.

#E-cigarette #E-cigarettes and Tobacco #Illegal e-cigarettes

This document has been generated through artificial intelligence translation and is provided solely for the purposes of industry discourse and learning. Please note that the intellectual property rights of the content belong to the original media source or author. Owing to certain limitations in the translation process, there may be discrepancies between the translated text and the original content. We recommend referring to the original source for complete accuracy. In case of any inaccuracies, we invite you to reach out to us with corrections. If you believe any content has infringed upon your rights, please contact us immediately for its removal.

Germany OLG Cologne: Touchscreen Vape Use Violates Driving “Phone Ban”

Germany’s OLG Cologne ruled that adjusting an e-cigarette touchscreen while driving violates the “phone ban” under road traffic law. The driver, caught changing vape settings on the highway, was fined €150 and received one penalty point, as the court said such actions pose significant distraction risks.

Oct.27 by 2FIRSTS.ai

U.S FDA Announces Dec. 8 Deadline for IQOS MRTP Renewal Comments

The U.S. FDA has set December 8, 2025, 11:59 p.m. ET as the closing date for public comments on the MRTP renewal applications submitted by Philip Morris Products S.A. for several IQOS heated tobacco products.

Nov.07 by 2FIRSTS.ai

Coral Springs, Florida Moves to Extend Ban on New Vape Shops as Number of Existing Stores Reaches 23

Coral Springs, Florida is considering extending its six-month moratorium on new smoke and vape shops as it works to finalize zoning rules and regulatory measures in response to a rapid increase in such retailers in recent years. The city is already home to 23 smoke and vape shops.

Dec.01 by 2FIRSTS.ai

Special Report | Belarus to centralize vaping market under state supervision

Belarus is preparing to overhaul its vaping market under tight state control — from monopolizing imports to banning online sales and restricting retail licenses. Officials say nearly 77% of the disposable e-cigarette market is supplied illegally, prompting sweeping regulatory measures that have already sparked strong pushback from consumers and vape retailers.

Dec.03