Law enforcement officers across Arizona are confronting a troubling and familiar reality: illegal vaping devices are flooding our communities, bypassing federal oversight, evading state enforcement, and ending up in the hands of middle and high school students. These are not lawful, regulated products. They are unauthorized disposable vapes — often smuggled into the United States from overseas — designed to appeal to children with flavors like Watermelon Bubble Gum, Cotton Candy, California Cherry, and White Gummy Bear.

This is not an accident. It is the result of a supply chain problem — one driven by illicit wholesalers and smugglers who exploit regulatory loopholes to move unapproved nicotine products into Arizona.

That is why SB1367, introduced by Senator Shawnna Bolick, is a necessary and measured response. The bill focuses where enforcement belongs: upstream, at the point where illegal products enter commerce. It would require wholesalers to prove the federal authorization and lawful origin of vaping products sold in Arizona, giving regulators and law enforcement the tools needed to identify, seize, and stop illegal shipments before they spread into neighborhoods and schools.

From a law-enforcement perspective, this is about accountability. Smuggling networks operate because they face little risk. When illegal products flow freely across borders and into wholesale distribution, everyone downstream — communities, parents, schools, and officers — bears the consequences. SB1367 helps close that gap by creating transparency and oversight of manufacturers and wholesale distribution by requiring documentation that vaping products sold in Arizona have entered the United States legally.

The public-safety implications are serious. These unauthorized vapes are engineered to attract young users, often disguised with colorful packaging and candy-like flavors. Officers and school resource personnel routinely report confiscating these devices from students who barely understand what they’re inhaling — highly concentrated nicotine from products that have never been approved for sale in the United States. Nicotine addiction at an early age carries lifelong consequences, and the proliferation of these products makes enforcement increasingly difficult.

Importantly, SB1367 is not aimed at lawful businesses that follow the rules. It does not ban legal products, nor does it criminalize responsible commerce. Instead, it establishes guardrails to ensure that only authorized, traceable vaping products are allowed into Arizona’s marketplace. That distinction matters. Law enforcement supports regulation that separates legitimate businesses from bad actors who profit by ignoring the law.

At the time of this writing, SB1367 has been introduced but has not yet been assigned to a Senate committee. That step is essential. Public-safety legislation deserves a full hearing — transparency, testimony, and a thorough review of how illegal vapes are entering our state. We respectfully urge Senate President Warren Petersen to assign SB1367 to a committee so it can receive that consideration and move through the legislative process.

Every day this issue goes unaddressed, illegal products remain on the shelves and in backpacks across Arizona. SB1367 gives law enforcement the tools we need to disrupt smuggling operations, protect our youth, and uphold the rule of law. This bill deserves to be heard — and Arizona deserves action.

Joe Clure is the Executive Director of the Arizona Police Association.