Flavor bans and increased taxes are the latest threat to e-cigarette consumers as the FDA continues to evaluate the industry. San Francisco, NY, PA and IL are just a few of the current hot spots.
It is easy to slip into complacency when you can walk into your favorite vape shop and be faced with 50 flavor choices and a wide variety of hardware to suit your needs. For now.
Imagine walking into a shop and all you can purchase is Tobacco flavor at three times the price you were used to paying. Oh, and by the way, there are no mods available. You must choose from the limited selection of FDA approved devices. And the final kicker…the shop itself is now going out of business due to higher taxes and the cost of FDA compliance.
Sounds harsh? The seeds are being planted right now. Other people are making your decisions for you based on misinformation from the media and fear of the unknown. The vaping community DOES have advocate groups available and there are quite a few ways our voices can be heard as well. It takes concern and participation from all of us as a community before the choices and vape shops disappear.
If you are not aware of the advocacy groups, please take the opportunity now to view our “Advocacy” page. The most important thing you can do is register to vote and let legislators know that you vape and you vote. Follow the link on our Advocacy page and join the Consumers Advocates for Smoke Free Alternatives Association (CASAA). It’s free and an excellent resource for keeping track of current calls to action. CASAA evens provides a list of local legislators that you can contact. Also, please spend some time on the FDA website and become familiar with the deeming regulations. The FDA will, from time to time, ask for opinions and stories from vapers so please use the opportunity and …Don’t Lose Your Voice!