Are Vapes Being Banned? My Prediction of 2026

Every day, we've been bombarded with bad news about vaping. States and countries just keep banning vapes and flavors, depriving adults of a less harmful substitute for smoking. No wonder *Sabaton* sings about this:

*It’s the nature of time that the old ways must give in*
*It’s the nature of time that the new ways come in sin…*

Will 2026 be a year for vapers, or do we have to fight back with tickets? This is my prediction of vape bans in 2026.

1. Why Are They Banning Vapes?

Vape bans are not new, but extend gradually. It is rational that some products (including vapes) are banned for public health and minor protection. However, bans with evidence to prove the risks or a total ban without exception are unacceptable. For example, flavored alcohol is never banned for minor protection, and we do know how alcoholism makes people suffer. If you want to know why they are banning vapes. Here is a table:

For some states with a directory or registry for e-cigarettes, there are certain products favored by the FDA. We can easily find the connection between FDA-approved vapes and Big Tobacco.

2. What Are FDA-Approved Vapes?

Technically, every nicotine product needs to receive PMTA approval before it is marketed. However, the application of most e-cigarettes is eventually delayed or rejected without clear explanations. Certainly, this process lacks transparency. Thanks to the short list of FDA-approved disposable vapes, we can see the picture and what is involved in this trade.

All the e-cigarettes in this list are produced by Big Tobacco, and this list remains the same for years. Vapers who have no legal access to various options have to support the demons as before, and then their lobbyists can come up with more ideas about a vape ban. If you have no choice, you may try Juul.

3. How Are Vapes Getting Banned?

(1) Flavor Vape Ban: What States Banned Flavored Vapes

The bottom line varies when it comes to vape bans. The most common one is flavor ban. All the flavors appealing to minors are banned. Approved flavors are tobacco, menthol, and unflavored. Does this ring a bell? These are the flavors produced by Big Tobacco. Although California isn't the first state to ban flavored vapes, it's the first to release an official Unflavored Tobacco List. Guess what? It's like a duplicate of the FDA-approved vape list with a few exceptions.

(2) Foreign Adversary Ban

Texas is the first state to ban e-cigarettes manufactured or filled in the PRC. It could efficiently get rid of bootleg vapes, but also declines decent vape brands like Geek Bar and Fogertech. The silver lining is that Texian vapers can still get access to quality American-made vapes such as Fifty Bar.

Unfortunately, Indiana is likely to be the second state to use such a ban to remove not only disposable vapes but all vaping products manufactured in a foreign country, especially the PRC.

4. My Prediction about Vapes and Vape Bans in 2026

The US market can still be thriving, but there are more obstacles and bans on the way. Vapers, vape store owners, and convenience store owners may face stricter regulations on vape sales, but still have a chance to make a difference. Big Tobacco can hardly monopolize the vape market as more and more vapers switch to refillable vapes and make their own juice and flavors. Reusable (disposable vapes with replaceable pods) vapes will replace traditional disposable kits gradually. They are not 100% environment friendly, but much greener and easier to recycle.

Flavor ban is still, no doubt, the most efficient way to keep the revenue of the tobacco industry. However, whether other states like Indiana can appeal to a new law that bans e-cigarettes manufactured by adversary countries is debated now. A more rational method is to make vapes American again, just like Nebraska did. E-cigarettes manufactured, or at least filled with e-juice, in the United States are legal for sale. That's how you keep domestic industry alive and leave more flavor options for adult vapers.

On the other hand, disposable vapes are at risk due to recycling difficulty, minor use, and other factors. Nowadays, disposing of a disposable vape is just a huge waste of functional electronics with an empty e-juice tank. Adding more functions does not make one product stand out anymore. Instead, easy-to-recycle vapes will be in demand. If they dare to go nuts and, for example, make vapor colorful somehow, we can safely predict an all-state vape ban.

5. Conclusion

There are eleven months left for 2026 now, and we can still be lucky to see vapes become great again. That's all about worrying about vape bans and my prediction about the fate of vaping in 2026, and I will meet you next time.