Disposable Vape Ban Could Undermine Hawaii’s Smoking Progress

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Key Points:

• Legislative Overview: House Bill 2121 and Senate Bill 2175 would prohibit the sale, offer for sale, and distribution of disposable e-cigarettes statewide in Hawaii.

• Core Restriction: HB 2121 defines disposable e-cigarettes as non-refillable, non-rechargeable, or single-use devices intended to be discarded after use – effectively banning the most popular vape products used by adults.

• Environmental Framing: The bills are presented as waste-management and marine debris measures, citing youth disposal concerns and environmental reports linking disposable vapes to landfill and ocean waste.

• Key Distinction: SB 2175 exempts products that have received marketing authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, creating a narrower scope than HB 2121.

• Adult Smoking vs. Vaping: In 2024, more Hawaiian adults vaped than smoked. An estimated 107,210 adults (9.3 percent) used e-cigarettes, compared to 93,377 adults (8.1 percent) who smoked combustible cigarettes.

• Correlated Trends: Between 2016 and 2024, adult vaping increased 116.3 percent, while smoking declined 38.2 percent – representing nearly 59,000 more adults vaping and more than 53,000 fewer adults smoking.

• Economic Impact: Hawaii’s smoking decline carries substantial cost savings. With total annual costs per smoker estimated at $95,058 – including $4,385 in health-care costs – 53,000 fewer smokers translates to roughly $5 billion in reduced total smoking-related costs.

• Harm Reduction at Risk: Disposable vape products are widely used by adults attempting to quit smoking. Eliminating them may unintentionally increase cigarette use or expand illicit market activity.

• Existing Recycling Framework: Hawaii already operates an Electronic Device Recycling and Recovery Law, expanded in 2022 and 2025, requiring manufacturers to fund recycling programs for electronic products.

• Policy Alternative: Rather than banning disposable vapes outright, lawmakers could incorporate vaping products – both disposable and rechargeable – into Hawaii’s existing electronic waste recycling system.

• Bottom Line: HB 2121 and SB 2175 pursue environmental goals through prohibition, despite clear evidence that vaping has coincided with steep smoking declines in Hawaii. A targeted recycling strategy would address waste concerns without undermining harm reduction or risking unintended public health consequences.

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Legislation in the Aloha State would severely limit tobacco harm reduction products sought by adults. Companion bills in the Hawaii House and Senate would ban the sale of disposable vape products. While framed as environmentally friendly legislation, restricting the most popular vape products – used by many Hawaiian adults to help quit smoking – could unintentionally increase combustible cigarette use and fuel black market sales. Rather than pursuing outright prohibition, lawmakers should study recycling programs similar to those used for other consumer goods that generate environmental waste.

House Bill 2121 and Senate Bill 2175 would implement a statewide prohibition on the sale, offer for sale, and distribution of disposable e-cigarettes.

Under HB 2121, a disposable e-cigarette is defined as a device that is non-refillable, has a non-rechargeable battery, or is intended to be discarded after its contents are used. The measure is framed as environmental and waste-management legislation and cites Truth Initiative findings on youth disposal habits, as well as research from the Michael Bloomberg-funded Bureau of Investigative Journalism regarding the volume of disposable vapes discarded nationwide. The bill further connects disposable e-cigarettes to marine debris and broader environmental degradation, suggesting they contribute to Hawaii’s waste challenges.

SB 2175 is largely similar but differs in statutory placement, product definition, and federal exemptions. Notably, SB 2175 excludes products that have received marketing authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from the definition of disposable electronic smoking devices, effectively exempting those products from the proposed ban.

The introduction of e-cigarettes in Hawaii has coincided with steep declines in combustible cigarette use – the most harmful form of tobacco. In fact, in 2024 a greater percentage of Hawaiian adults aged 18 or older were vaping than smoking.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an estimated 107,210 Hawaiian adults were currently using e-cigarettes in 2024 – or 9.3 percent of adults – compared to 93,377 adults (8.1 percent) who were currently smoking combustible cigarettes. That represents 13.8 percent more adults vaping than smoking.

E-cigarette use has increased alongside significant declines in smoking. Between 2016 and 2024, adult vaping prevalence rose 116.3 percent, from 4.3 percent to 9.3 percent – representing nearly 59,000 additional adults. During the same period, smoking prevalence declined 38.2 percent, from 13.1 percent to 8.1 percent – equating to more than 53,000 fewer adults smoking.

These reductions carry meaningful economic implications. According to WalletHub, the total annual cost per smoker in Hawaii in 2024 was $95,058, including $4,385 in health care costs. With more than 53,000 fewer adults smoking, that translates to an estimated $5 billion reduction in total smoking-related costs, including approximately $234 million in health care savings.

Rather than implementing a statewide prohibition, Hawaii lawmakers can look to existing consumer waste programs. In 2008, the Legislature enacted the Electronic Device Recycling and Recovery Law, requiring manufacturers of certain electronics to operate recycling programs. The law was expanded in 2022 to require manufacturers to fully fund those programs and was further broadened in 2025 to include additional device categories.

Instead of restricting harm reduction options for adults – and risking unintended consequences – lawmakers should build on these successful recycling frameworks by incorporating vaping products, including both disposable and non-disposable devices, into Hawaii’s existing electronic waste programs. A targeted recycling solution would address environmental concerns without eliminating lower-risk alternatives that are helping thousands of Hawaiian adults move away from combustible cigarettes.

Nothing in this analysis is intended to influence the passage of legislation, and it does not necessarily represent the views of Tobacco Harm Reduction 101.