COLUMBUS, Ohio—It’s an industry that’s at risk of going up in smoke.
- A recent rash of vaping-related deaths have officials at the CDC sending out a stern warning to stop vaping until they can determine the cause
- Vape store owners say business is suffering because of bootleggers
- Ohio recently upped the buying age to 21 and lawmakers are also imposing a new tax on liquid tobacco products that goes into effect October 1
And on Friday, vapers everywhere got another blow.
Authorities confirmed a fifth person died as a result of vaping-related pulmonary complications.
“It’s scary times. If we lose the consumer’s faith, this industry is going to go by tomorrow,” said James Jarvis, owner, Vapor Station
According to an investigation by the state health departments in Wisconsin and Illinois, 53 victims —mostly young men—wound up in the hospital since April, with a third of them now on respirators.
But Vapor Station owner James Jarvis says he blames the bootleggers, who cut their products with harmful components like Vitamin E oil.
“A lot of these have contained some illegal substances, you know, they’re being bought on the street. Not things you’re going to find typically in a retail shop,” said Jarvis.
He says legal vape shops follow FDA guidelines—from what they can sell, to how they can sell it.
“We’re not really allowed to do any marketing, per FDA regulation,” said Jarvis. “If you do any type of advertising, it has to be to a non-child audience, so an adult-oriented audience, it can’t be during times a day when kids watch TV, you have to have nicotine warnings all over the product…so, there are a lot of things we have to do if we want to do it.”
Since this scandal broke, he says he’s seen a 15-35 percent dip in sales.
Several states, like Michigan, have banned colorful packaging and fun flavors they say are aimed at kids.
Ohio just raised the age to buy tobacco products, including vaporizers, from 18 to 21.
Jarvis says that knocks out another 25 percent of his customers.
“I would really hope that the government would not put 20 thousand businesses out of work, and a couple hundred thousand employees and 13 million vapers on the hook to go back to combustible cigarettes,” said Jarvis. “Our stuff is really made to help people get off of combustible cigarettes, that we know kill 480 thousand people a year.”
James Gabbard smoked cigarettes for 13 years before switching to vaporized products.
“I’m not vaping because it’s healthy… I’m vaping because it’s less harmful than combustible tobacco,” said Gabbard.
Along with upping the buying age to 21, here in Ohio, lawmakers are also imposing a new tax on liquid tobacco products that goes into effect October 1.
They’re charging an extra 10 cents per milliliter.
It’s one of many actions lawmakers are taking to snuff out this industry.
