SB 810 goes well beyond federal law and would impose broader flavor ban targeting the essential small businesses, further decimating Florida’s economy
Washington, D.C., March 26, 2020 — The Vapor Technology Association (VTA) is launching its Veto SB 810 advertisement campaign in Tallahassee, Florida to urge Governor DeSantis to veto legislation that would ban the sale of flavored e-liquids sold to adults by over 800 small businesses in Florida.“Florida’s Economy” highlights the devastating economic and public health consequences this bill would have on the state of Florida. “Florida’s Economy” airs starting Friday, on CNN and Fox News programming in Tallahassee, Florida.
See the video HERE
As our country confronts the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, small businesses in Florida face unprecedented economic uncertainty. The ad “Florida’s Economy” is part of the “Vapers Say Veto” digital campaign that VTA launched today. The campaign is intended to illuminate the devastating economic impact SB 810 would have on the state if Governor DeSantis signs it into law.
A recent economic impact report entitled Senate Bill 810’s Flavor Ban Will Decimate Florida Small Businesses, prepared by economists John Dunham & Associates (“Dunham”), reveals that if Governor DeSantis signs SB 810 more than 4,500 Floridians will be put out of work and more than $186 million in wages and benefits will be lost. In addition, the report concluded that a Florida flavor ban would result in the loss of $605.6 million in economic activity for the state.
“With the COVID-19 crisis disrupting everyday lives throughout the United States and Florida, this is the worst possible time to be shutting down small businesses and ruining the livelihoods of hard-working Floridians and taking away any hope of a recovery,” said Tony Abboud, Executive Director of the Vapor Technology Association. “VTA urges Governor DeSantis to reject this small business killing ban and instead consider all the common sense alternative regulations that can be implemented to achieve the twin goals of restricting youth vaping (which already is illegal for anyone under 21) while preserving flavored vapor as an alternative for adults desperately trying to quit smoking.”
Estimates are that 1,300,000 adult Floridians use vapor products. Studies demonstrate that adults rely on a wide variety of flavors to quit or reduce smoking. A flavor ban would drive them back to combustible cigarettes, which take the lives of nearly 1,300 Americans every day, or will create a new and burgeoning black market. According to the Florida Department of Health, “28,600 adults in Florida die from smoking (443,000 deaths a year nationwide) every year. For every person who dies, another 20 suffer from one or more serious illnesses from smoking.”
“Shutting down already regulated small businesses which are selling legal FDA-regulated products is the fastest way to create an explosive new black market in Florida,” said Abboud.
Importantly, SB 810 does nothing to address youth usage and goes far beyond the federal law. Last year, President Trump signed the law raising the purchase age to 21 for both tobacco and vapor products, thus making 21 the age in Florida. In addition, earlier this year, the FDA imposed a federal flavor ban for the pod-based systems that FDA stated were overwhelming used by youth. The Florida law would ban flavor for open systems that are the choice of adults seeking a safer alternative to combustible cigarettes and which are sold in hundreds of vape shops all over the state.
Fortunately, there exist many alternatives to a flavor ban that would much more effectively limit youth access and appeal without threatening public health and the economy. VTA’s comprehensive plan includes removing products from shelves that have packaging that would appeal to minors, stricter penalties for retailers caught selling to kids under the age of 21, a “three strikes and you’re out” enforcement regime; and increased funding for education and enforcement, among other key policies.
Abboud added: “Bans don’t work; they never have. As we have said from the start, we will continue to work with the Florida legislature on the many real solutions that should be implemented to restrict youth vaping, which is already illegal, and prevent yet another public health crisis from happening. Because that is exactly what will happen if adults are forced to return to combustible cigarettes or find their desired products on the black market.”
This is the latest in a series of efforts that Vapor Technology Association has launched to protect adult access to flavored vapor products and follows its multimedia advertisement campaigns, “I Vote” and “Promises,” which also demonstrate the significant public health consequences of a ban on flavored vapor products.
About the Vapor Technology Association
The Vapor Technology Association is the U.S. non-profit industry trade association whose 1000+ members are dedicated to innovating and selling high quality vapor products that provide adult consumers with a better alternative to traditional combustible cigarettes. VTA represents the industry-leading manufacturers of vapor devices, e-liquids, flavorings, and components, as well as the largest wholesalers, distributors, importers, and e-commerce retailers, in addition to hundreds of hard-working American brick-and-mortar retail store owners throughout the United States. Follow us on Twitter.
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