Whoa there San Francisco!
Just hold on a minute!
Banning the sale of all flavored nicotine products?
Whoa…
You read that right, the San Francisco City Supervisors approved an ordinance on June 20 to ban the sale of all flavored nicotine products.
All.
A final vote is expected on the ordinance this week. If approved, the ban will go into effective in April 2018.
Wow, that happened fast.
So, again, I say, whoa.
Let’s slow down a look at this for a minute.
Ban the sale of all flavored nicotine products, including menthol cigarettes. Ban the sale of all amazing, delicious, precious vape juice.
Are you asking why?
Let me tell you, I’m asking why!
Why attack flavored tobacco products? Why ban vape juice?
The answer?
I have to say the answer won’t make a vaper any happier than the ban itself.
Because flavored nicotine products apparently make the entire industry more appealing to minors.
We’ve heard horror stories about packaging and some brands, including Dripmore’s Candy King line, have announced that they will be rebranding.
But now the fight isn’t just against the packaging but about the flavored juice itself.
“We’re focusing on flavored products because they are widely considered to be a starter product for future smokers,” Supervisor and bill sponsor Malia Cohen told ABC news.
Let me just say that’s a load of bull.
And I’m not the only one who thinks so.
The president of the American Vaping Association agreed.
Gregory Conley told ABC news that the ban is “complete nonsense.”
“There is a great deal of evidence that flavors are critical to helping adults quit smoking by helping them disconnect from the taste of tobacco,” Conley told ABC News.
Minors start smoking every day and cigarettes taste awful.
People continue to smoke even though it tastes awful.
Since I have up the stinky sticks and started exclusively vaping I have greatly enjoyed the many flavor varieties. Being able to try a selection, and mix and match tanks and mods, to slowly venture into the world of RDAs and RDTAs (as a basically exclusive tank vaper, I still have a lot to learn on coils and such) has been a major thing. Trying out new setups and flavors takes your mind off not smoking.
Having flavors is like the cherry on top for former smokers who has switched to vaping. Not only have you given up a cancer causing stick that tastes awful but you now get something that tastes awesome.
And it’s not just one flavor, there are tons of them to try and enjoy.
Conley said something similar to ABC news, stating that watermelon juice helped him kick the stinky sticks.
For me it was anything dessert flavored with cinnamon. Just have to have that cinnamon.
Unfortunately the ordinance is expected to pass when voted on in coming days.
Now, while the ordinance says that the sale of flavored tobacco products will be prohibited, it does not ban the possession of awesome, flavored vapor goodness. People will still be allowed to possess vape juice, at least for the time being.
I have to say that what makes me the more nervous about this ban is that I’m afraid that it just a stepping stone. I’m worried that this is the first step in the city banning vaping all together. That the steps of one city may lead to bans in other cities.
We all know that there is a heavy push from the powers that be to abolish the entire vape industry. Some say it comes from money being taken away from big tobacco companies, others claim that it’s because people just don’t understand what vaping is. Regardless, the vaping industry is being hit in all sides and this ban on flavored tobacco in San Francisco is not a good sign.
And to top it off, I feel a strong irony that the flavored tobacco ban is happening in a city that’s looking to legalize other things.
Ray Story, CEO or Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association, told CNN that he thinks the ordinance is “extremely irresponsible.”
“At the end of the day, it’s an adult product,” Story told CNN. He added that the ban “makes no sense in California, where “in the next days will allow any type of marijuana.”
By the way this includes edible things like brownies.
I have to say I agree with Story on that assessment.
Banning vape juice because its flavors appeal to children and the offering pot brownies for sale just doesn’t compute in my brain.
And I feel I’m qualified to say this as a mother of three, brownies definitely are appealing to children.
Don’t see how you really managed to protect minors in that move.
Bottom line, as I’ve said before, politicians need to stay out of the vaping industry. I get throwing a tax on it, because we all know how much our government enjoys taxing things. I also get that vaping must be categorized in order to tax it, which is where national political discussion has been lately.
Regulate vaping and make sure that it’s a clean and sanity industry for it’s users.
But please remember that just because you aren’t a vaper, that doesn’t mean that I can’t be. My right to vape hasn’t infringed on your right not to vape in any way.
Personally I enjoy vaping. Right now I’m hooked on an awesome grape soda juice and there are so many more that I want to try.
I don’t miss the cancer-causing stinky sticks, and I know many vapors feel that way.
Vaping provides an alternative to smoking, something you would think people would be happy about.
So, again, I say whoa San Francisco.
Slow down.
Think of the ramifications of your ban.
Don’t infringe on my right to vape.
