The California Assembly on Monday passed Assembly Bill (AB) 216, authored by Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) to take a stand against new smoking technologies meant to entice children. Measure passed with bi-partisan support 77-0.

AB 216 would ban stores and smoke shops from selling any vaping or electronic cigarette device to anyone under the age of 18 years of age.

“Unlike candy cigarettes, that became socially unacceptable, these products are truly dangerous for children and act as a gateway to future tobacco use.” Garcia said. “These devices are hooking a new generation on nicotine and are a gateway to smoking traditional cigarettes and reversing previous successes in reducing nicotine use among minors.”

Current law only prevents minors from purchasing vaping devices with nicotine cartridges. But the devices, even without nicotine, can also be used for smoking other substances such as cannabis, or other herbal substances that are harmful to children, officials said.

E-cigarettes and vape pens target a younger audience, using sweet flavored compounds that carry the names of kid’s treats, such as gummy bears and fruit loops, Garcia said. Although they don’t have nicotine, these compounds have been shown to contain other harmful chemicals, masked by the candy-flavored vapor. Minors under the age of 18 years old are now currently free to purchase vaping devices and use these products.

Studies suggest that adolescents who use e-cigarettes are more likely to progress from experimenting with cigarettes, to becoming established smokers.

From 2011 to 2014, substantial increases have been observed in current e-cigarette use among middle and high school students, resulting in an estimated 2.4 million young people today using e-cigarettes.

“The use of vaping by minors is reaching epidemic proportion and California must act now, to protect children’s health and to keep from producing a whole new generation of young smokers,” Garcia said.

AB 216 now moves to the California Senate.