Tuesday, January 28th marked an important day for the Arizona Smoke Free Business Alliance. Our organization provided lunch for the lawmakers at the capitol, allowing us to speak face to face with Arizona’s legislators. While there were lots of hungry bellies to feed, we managed to talk with many of the movers and shakers, and locked in meetings with a dozen more.

Our goal with this event was to make our mission clear - we stand in support of Arizona’s small business vaping industry and promote harm reduction. There are hundreds of local vape stores that employ thousands of Arizonans throughout the state, watching with bated breath as elected officials make decisions that could shutter their business with the stroke of a pen. We contend that the vapor industry is widely misunderstood and villainized without any real basis, falling victim to nonstop fearmongering and distrust. We know from firsthand experience that vapor products have the power to change lives for the better, putting smokers in control of their health by making the switch to an alternative for nicotine that is shown to be cleaner and safer.

Proactivity is key as we enter the 57th legislative session. We’re already facing a new Premarket Tobacco Application Registry Bill (SB1272). Legislators may not know that limiting vapor sales to FDA-approved products would cripple local small businesses, as there are currently only 34 products that have made it through the process. Note that even big players like R.J. Reynolds and Altria continue to market and sell products that are not on this list. Simply look for any Menthol flavored Vuse products while visiting a chain convenience store. Some devices, like Altria’s Njoy Ace, have even recently been banned from being imported from China due to intellectual property violations. Before any serious legislation is put into consideration, vapor businesses want to see fair treatment from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
There are millions of vapor products that were blanket-denied marketing by the FDA. Decisions like this ignore the preponderance of evidence that flavored vapor products help responsible adults quit smoking for good, while privileging big tobacco companies with legal protections not afforded to the little guys. The ASFA isn’t seeking a hand up for the vape shops of Arizona, we are simply fighting for a level playing field.