VTA CALLS ON REGULATORS & LEGISLATORS TO IMPLEMENT 21 & DONE! A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ADDRESS UNDERAGE USE OF E-CIGARETTES
On September 25, 2019, the Vapor Technology Association (VTA) called on the Trump Administration, the Food & Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission and Congress to implement a comprehensive plan to ensure controlled distribution of all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, and to impose real limits on access and appeal of all tobacco products to youth.
But, the Department of Health and Humans Services (HHS) continues to announce publicly that the Administration is going to “sweep the market” of all flavored e-cigarettes while making no changes to how deadly cigarettes are sold. Importantly, the “sweeping” of the market or what HHS and FDA refer to as a “temporary” ban on flavors will result in the permanent closure of nearly 14,000 American small businesses and the loss of more than 150,000 American jobs.
Why? Very simply: the American vapor industry is made up of a new supply and distribution channel that is independent of the traditional cigarette distribution channel. The new American vapor channel has thousands of manufacturers and distributors which sell a wide variety of FDA-regulated, flavored nicotine products through 11,500 retail vape shops to approximately 13 million adults who rely on those flavors to quit and/or reduce smoking cigarettes. The distribution chain typically sells products to adult consumers at the ratio of 90% flavored and 10% tobacco/mint/menthol flavors. There is no business model that would enable this chain, particularly vape shops, to remain open if only “tobacco, mint and menthol” flavors remain.
The economic impact will be dramatic.
21 & Done Plan
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