Over the weekend, the Ocean City, MD Police Department tased teenagers in an effort to enforce a local vaping ordinance.
Black and Brown law enforcement officials and experts have made it clear to us that this has always been a potential outcome of prohibitions against flavored tobacco and vaping products. Rather than invest in educational resources to dissuade young people from smoking or vaping, our leaders have opted for an outdated ban, right out of the War on Drugs playbook, that has disproportionately punished Black and Brown communities.
Neighborhood FORWARD and our affiliates are calling for a thorough investigation into the incident and a total reconsideration of such laws and proposals across the country.
