Coming after Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of a ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors, this piece examined the debate surrounding the devices. At the time, Missouri, like many states, had no laws restricting e-cigarettes. While state lawmakers passed a law codifying the ban, they also prevented e-cigarettes from being regulated as tobacco. The legislators and industry groups argued not enough was known about the health effects of e-cigarettes. Health advocates countered that the lack of certainty argued in favor of more restrictions, not fewer. They also questioned the influence that big tobacco companies, which had just introduced their own e-cigarettes, had on the legislation.
