A new Louisiana vape law goes into effect November 1 and it will severely limit the number of vapes that can be sold a local outlets.

The legislation that started out as a bill to increase the tax on vapes morphed into an effort to limit their use, citing a rise in vaping among teenagers.

University of Louisiana in Monroe Political Science Professor John Sutherlin said the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recognizes children vaping has major concerns.

“The CDC has expressed concerns, brain, hearts and a number of health concerns related to nicotine and vaping itself for middle schoolers, high schoolers whose bodies are still developing,” he said. “This could represent a serious challenge.”

The new Louisiana law states that every vapor product manufacturer sold in the state must be registered with the Louisiana Alcohol and Tobacco Control by November 1. If a product is not on the registry, it can’t be legally sold.

Many store owners note the difficulty involved with this as each individually sold vape, flavor and strength must be registered and the cost of the application to get each one registered is $100. But applying does not mean it will be approved and registered to be able to be sold.

Stores across Louisiana who had been selling vapes, including some in LaSalle Parish, have begun the process of selling out their products and have no intention of selling them once the November 1st date arrives.

The original bill, by Representative Paul Hollis, was signed into law June 15 by the Gov.