GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – The new federal vaping law, with fruity flavored vapes potentially becoming illegal, takes effect September 1.
WiscoFAST, a group of vape shop owners, filed a lawsuit against the state, with the hopes of coming into an agreement with the state of Wisconsin to have it be a fair market.
Fighting not just for their livelihoods but for their customers as well.
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“It’s vitally important that our members are all on the same page, and have the same information that they can provide to their consumers,” says WiscoFast member and owner of The Supply Plus Zach Rozenboom, “At the end of the day there are hundreds of thousands of consumer’s in this state that want to know what is going on with these products as well.”
The group held a closed-door session on Wednesday, recapping what happened in Madison at the hearing on Friday, and discussed the next steps to keep their products on the shelf, and not resort to only menthol and tobacco products, some of the least sold in some stores.
“The thing that is important for this decision is the number of people that this truly affects. We had 30 or more business owners in that hearing with us, and it’s real people that this is affecting,” says Rozenboom.
The Wisconsin State Legislature had instituted this September 1 deadline to ensure that the state would comply with the FDA’s list of approved vaping products.
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Johnny Vapes owner and president of WiscoFAST, Tyler Hall, was in Madison and was even called to testify at the hearing.
Explaining just how much of an impact it would have for not only him and his business, but also other businesses and the employees that they have.
“The state was trying to say that this law was not going to affect the three thousand small businesses in Wisconsin, so without any warning, a couple of business owners were called up there to testify just how damaging it would be to us.”
However, the outcome, Hall says, the group will keep fighting for what they believe the people of Wisconsin should have: alternative ways to smoke, and eventually quit smoking.
“It’s a 50-50 chance, big tobacco is very powerful, and Kwik Trip, their very powerful, influential organizations. They are throwing their weight around to beat up us 3,000 small businesses in Wisconsin, we are gonna go down swinging, I guess, we are not gonna stop fighting.”
The judge is expected to have a ruling on this case before the September 1st deadline. Local 5 will provide an update when a decision has been reached.
