COMIC: What Happens if I Get Caught Vaping?
Transcript
Panel 1: An orange blob, holding a vaping device, looks up at the smoke around it, which is coming out of its device. Inside the smoke is the text: “What happens if I get caught vaping?”
Panel 2: The text says: “Vaping and e-cigarettes are regulated like tobacco. Depending on where you are, if you get caught vaping, and you’re a minor, you could be breaking the law.” Below the text are four round characters lounging and smoking and vaping. In the middle of them is an anthropomorphized, rectangular law document that is looking at them with an angry face. Smoke is coming out of all of the round characters.
Panel 3: The text says: “Laws for possession of tobacco (including vaping) vary, but they’re generally set up to discourage smoking and vaping.” Below the text are four rectangular “laws” with arms and legs. The first one says, “Minors can’t buy tobacco products.” The second says, “Minors can’t use tobacco products.” The third one says, “Minors can’t possess tobacco products.” The fourth one says, “No one can sell tobacco products to minors.”
Panel 4: The text says: “Before 2019, it was illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under 18.” Below the text is a law character with “federal law” written on it. The law is holding a sign that says “No selling tobacco products to [an image of a round character] under 18.” Underneath the image are the words “Before 2019.”
Panel 5: The text says: “In 2019, Congress made it illegal across the U.S. for stores and companies to sell tobacco products to anyone under 21.” Underneath the text is the same image as the previous page, a federal law character holding a sign. But now there is a Congress character (the Congress building drawn with arms and legs) holding an orange pencil, crossing out the “18” and replacing it with “21” in orange ink on the sign that the federal law is holding. Below the image is the date “December 21, 2019.”
Panel 6: The text says: “If you’re too young and someone’s selling it to you, they’re breaking the law.” Below the text is an image with a turquoise salesperson (in round character form) behind a cashier selling a vaping device to a green round character accepting it happily. Below the green character is a note that says “(age 19).” On top of the entire image is a large, black “X.”
Panel 7: The text says: “So if I’m caught hitting the nic, is that illegal? Probably. In most states, it’s illegal for someone under 21 to use or possess tobacco products.” Below the text is a purple round character sitting against a tree, vaping, with smoke coming out of its mouth. Next to it is a law character (a rectangle with arms and legs and the words “state law, law, law, law, law” on it) that is pointing at the vaping device.
Panel 8: The text says: “If you’re caught vaping in a state that penalizes the possession or use of tobacco, you may get a citation (it’s like a traffic ticket), which can come with a small fine or a community service requirement.” Below the text are two round characters. The one on the left is turquoise and looking sheepishly at a citation that says “Citation, pay this $$.” The one on the right is orange and is looking worriedly at a document in its hand that says “Citation Community Service.”
Panel 9: The text says: “Because of the recent change in federal law and the focus on vaping, state and local laws vary a lot and are in flux, so make sure to check the laws where you are.” Below the text are two large, round characters that we only see the backs of. The left one is orange, the right one is purple. They are both reading about their state laws. Below the image is more text: “For more information, visit FindLaw.com.”
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