GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Ben Hall has closed three of his seven Northeast Wisconsin vape stores, Johnny Vapes.
Sales are down about 80% in the last year, he said.
“We’ve seen a lot of customers shopping out of state, either online or heading up to Michigan,” he said.
Many of his shelves are empty, as a law that took effect last September wiped out about 90% of his inventory. Only state-approved vapes that have been approved by the FDA can be sold in stores, mostly less popular devices made by ‘Big Tobacco’ companies.
“They’ve just historically been inferior products in my opinion and my customers’ opinions,” said Hall.
The registry only allows about 40 products to be sold in Wisconsin, far less than if Wisconsin allowed all FDA-approved products, according to WISCOFAST President David Brogan, also limiting flavors and marketing tactics, according to Brogan. WISCOFAST is an organization which advocates for consumer choice in the vape industry.
In Wisconsin, consumers can’t buy vapes until they’re 18, but those who support the restrictions say this decreases the chance vapes make into kids’ hands.
“We want there to be the fullest enforcement, the fullest support that’s needed to prevent youth from using these in the first place,” said Parents Against Vaping Executive Director Caroline Joyce. “I would say that it’s one step that needs to be taken of many steps that need to be taken.”
Hall and Brogan say enforcement against children buying vapes should be strict, and those who sell to children should be penalized, but that shouldn’t impact other adults’ choices.
“(Store owners) are doing this… because they believe in providing their local communities with a viable alternative to traditional combustible tobacco,” said Brogan.
Added Hall: “I’ll be honest with you, neither of them are healthy for you. But why not let adults choose which one they want to do and ultimately let the consumer decide.”
For better or worse, it’s why there may be fewer vape shops around Northeast Wisconsin.
Any law is unlikely to change at least until the next legislative session, which begins in January.
