Tobacco companies are promoting restrictive “PMTA registry” bills in over a dozen state legislatures this year. These bills establish registries of vaping products approved for legal sale, placing significant burdens on small manufacturers and sellers while advantaging big tobacco corporations with the resources to comply.
So far, the FDA has only authorized a handful of products, mainly from subsidiaries of the major tobacco companies. Meanwhile, popular independent vapes like most bottled e-liquids and disposables would be banned under the registry laws, enabling tobacco-owned brands to dominate the legal market. Reynolds, Altria, and others are openly lobbying for and supporting the bills to reduce competition.
The bills pose an existential threat to independent vape shops and manufacturers, which lack the funds and staff to continually register products in multiple states. They also simplify enforcement against vape shops in particular. In this way, the laws serve as “big tobacco protection acts” while being sold to lawmakers and the public as addressing youth vaping concerns.
Consumers who wish to preserve access to independent vapes should urgently contact their representatives to oppose PMTA registry bills where introduced. Allowing tobacco giants to legislate competitors out of the market also risks a growth in dangerous black market products.
