Vape Registry Bill

Liv Rapier

March 28. 2025

On March 10, a bill proposing a ban on non-FDA approved vape products passed a TN State House committee.

Proposed by Representative David Hawk, the bill was contested by members of the Tennessee Smoke Free Association, a not-for-profit organization that aims to get people away from nicotine addictions. The TSFA believes that people who have been smoking cigarettes can switch to vapes, start ingesting less nicotine per puff, and ultimately quit altogether.

TSFA President Danny Gillis answered questions from the committee for about 20 minutes on March 10, pleading for alternatives to a ban.

"There’s a lot of solutions to this complex problem, but it’s not prohibition,” Gillis said. “The worst thing you could have is a prohibition right now."

The purpose of this bill is to keep "illicit" and "overwhelmingly manufactured" vapes away from children and schools according to Hawk.

Vapes aren't meant for kids, but they're still finding their way into schools.

Bella Givens, 21, has been vaping on and off since eighth grade, buying her first one from an older classmate for $5. Even her 14-year-old sister is seeing vapes pop up in school.

Read the full article.