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Resident urges Encinitas to ban disposable vapes, suggests retailer take‑back or tax
Summary
A resident and health educator urged the commission to consider banning illegal disposable e‑cigarettes, creating retailer take‑back programs, or imposing an e‑sig tax to cover disposal costs; she cited health, environmental and hazardous‑waste concerns and offered EPA guidance.
Peggy Walker, who identified herself as working with the San Diego Alliance for Drug‑Free Youth, told the commission disposable e‑cigarettes are “staggeringly detrimental to health, to the environment, and ... a big hazardous waste disposal problem.”
Walker said disposable vapes—many illegally manufactured and widely sold despite bans—pose multiple hazards: retained toxins, plastic waste and lithium‑ion batteries. She referenced EPA guidance on proper disposal and urged the city to consider three policy options: a ban on disposable e‑cigarettes, a retailer take‑back program for safe disposal, or a tax on e‑cigs to cover municipal disposal costs.
She also warned that with the school year starting, illegal disposable vapes commonly appear in schools and called for public education and clearer disposal instructions on the city website. Walker said she brought EPA materials to the commission and asked staff to consider the options she outlined.
Crystal (city staff) did not commit to a specific next step during the oral‑communications period; the topic appeared as part of community input for future staff consideration.
