A CDC Foundation study published in JAMA Network Open found that e-cigarette directory laws in Alabama, Oklahoma, and Louisiana did not produce sustained reductions in flavored e-cigarette sales. Researchers analyzing retail scanner data from January 2021 through April 2025 found no significant changes in nicotine sales or product availability in Alabama or Oklahoma, while Louisiana saw an initial decline in both after its directory was published. Louisiana sales rebounded within eight months and eventually exceeded pre-directory levels, driven in part by menthol prefilled cartridges and flavored disposable products not listed in the state directory.
By April 2025, products not listed on state directories accounted for more than half of per-capita e-cigarette nicotine sales in all three states, raising questions about whether directory laws, as currently implemented, can effectively restrict unauthorized products.
