Vapers fearful of being forced back into hands of tobacco trade

Electronic cigarette advocates believe that a proposed bill would make way for tobacco companies to start ‘regulating vapor shops’ in Oklahoma, according to a report by Heather Hope for News 9.

‘Those who’ve kicked the habit with the help of tobacco free electronic cigarettes say they are once again being targeted by “big tobacco”,’ the report said. ‘At issue is a bill that would turn stores that sell e-cigarettes into conventional cigarette vendors and tax them as such.

‘It would make all vapor shops only sell to people over 18 years old. But customers are upset the bill would add another tax on electronic cigarettes.’

The report quoted one electronic cigarette user as saying the bill would set it up so that shops selling electronic cigarettes would have to buy exclusively from tobacco distributors.

And it said that electronic cigarette advocates felt the bill would give way for tobacco companies to start ‘regulating vapor shops’.

“They’re losing customers and they want them back,” Vapor Hut employee, Allison Taylor, was quoted as saying. “So if people are going to buy electronic cigarettes, which they can’t stop, they want them to buy them from the tobacco company.”

The bill, which was passed by the Senate earlier this month, is currently with the House’s Public Health committee.