PINELLAS COUNTY, FL (WFLA) – A Florida man is busted over the weekend with E-cigarette cartridges and Pinellas Park Police said the suspect planned to sell them.
When it comes to E-cigarettes, everyone is vaping, but be cautious drug dealers have found a way to lace them.
“When you buy it off the streets, you don’t know what they’re putting in it,” said Kyle Jarbo, manager at Vapor Road in Largo.
Pinellas Park police confiscated more than 150 E-cigarette cartridges, laced with marijuana oil Sunday. Detectives discovered that along with several bags of weed when they pulled Tony Nguyen over for traffic stop. Officers said they smelled the odor coming from the vehicle. Jarbo said to the untrained eye, it’s not easy to see if a drug has been added.
“Nine times out of ten, the average person is not going to be able to tell,” he said. “When you buy it in the store you know that it’s been distributed by a name known brand and it is by all means safer.”
It’s a growing concern for parents like Sue Shockey, knowing kids can easily buy these on the streets.
“I think anything that makes it easier for them, like an e-cigarette or a vapor cigarette, I think maybe we shouldn’t have them on the shelves,” she said.
Mom Jeanne Hardin feels there should be more done to regulate E-cigarettes.
“People could be smoking poison and not even be aware of it,” said Hardin. “Generally speaking, if you buy it from a reputable company, you’re pretty sure on the quality control, but there’s no quality control on those and they can do bad things to them.”
Jarbo said you can definitely smell the drug, if it’s been added.What others are clicking on: