Hawaiʻi Attorney General Lopez joins coalition in applauding Shopify’s ban on sale of vaping products

Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez joined a coalition of 25 state attorneys general and the City of New York in welcoming Shopify’s decision to ban the sale of all vaping products, including e-cigarettes, on its e-commerce platform.

The Ottawa, Canada-based company’s move follows a November 2025 letter from the coalition urging Shopify to strengthen safeguards against e-cigarette sales on its platform.

“This announcement is a significant victory for public health and consumer protection,” said Chelsea Okamoto, supervisor of the state Department of the Attorney General’s Tobacco Enforcement Unit. The decision helps prevent unlawful sales and reduces youth access to nicotine products. She commended Shopify for responding to the coalition’s concerns.

E-cigarettes are addictive, carry health risks, particularly for youth, and are subject to government regulation. The Food and Drug Administration must authorize any new tobacco product, including e-cigarettes, before it can be marketed or sold in the United States. The agency has authorized 45 e-cigarette products to date, all restricted to adult smokers. E-cigarettes lacking FDA authorization—which the coalition said includes nearly all products sold online—are classified as “adulterated,” and federal law bars their delivery in interstate commerce.

Senate Bill 2175 and House Bill 1573 are awaiting Gov. Josh Green’s signature, and they would tighten state regulation of electronic smoking devices and e-liquids. The Senate bill would ban the sale of disposable electronic smoking devices in Hawaiʻi starting Jan. 1, 2027, citing environmental and health concerns. The House bill would create a state directory of approved electronic smoking devices and e-liquids modeled on the FDA’s authorized products list; devices and liquids not listed would be barred from sale and subject to seizure, with penalties for violations.

Lopez joined the November 2025 letter to Shopify along with attorneys general from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin, as well as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the City of New York.