The “We Vap, We Vote” movement landed in DC this weekend, demanding continued access to smoke-free alternatives to combustible cigarettes.
Hundreds of people gathered in DC on Saturday for the 2020 Save the Weap Rally organized by the United Vapors Alliance.
Courtesy United Wap Alliance
U.C. People pose for photos at the VVP Rally 2020 organized by the United Vapors Alliance in
Courtesy United Wap Alliance
Hundreds of people gathered in DC on Saturday for the 2020 Save the Weap Rally organized by the United Vapors Alliance.
Courtesy United Wap Alliance
U.C. People pose for photos at the VVP Rally 2020 organized by the United Vapors Alliance in
Courtesy United Vapors Alliance
U.C. People pose for photos at the VVP Rally 2020 organized by the United Vapors Alliance in
Courtesy United Wap Alliance
The “We Vap, We Vote” movement landed on DC this week, asking for continued access to cigarette smoke-free alternatives.
Dimitris Agrofiotis, executive director of the Tennessee Smoke Free Association, went to the event to raise awareness. He said that after trying gum and patches, wiping was the only thing that helped him quit smoking 10 years ago at the age of 39.
“Ironically, my dad died of smoking when I was just 2 years old,” Agrophiotis said.
He joined the crowd at a “wipe save” rally organized by the United Vapors Alliance on September 9 to raise awareness of the need to apply for tobacco in the pre-market for steam products.
The group says the Food and Drug Administration is threatening to shut down businesses that do not enter the PMTA before the next deadline.
The application is required for any new tobacco products and must provide scientific data showing that the product is “appropriate for the protection of public health,” according to the FDA.
Agrofiotis and others at the rally say it is not appropriate to impose a requirement on winging products as filling out applications to sell winging products can be costly.
And, those costs could come down to many stores due to the addition of revenue loss during the coronavirus epidemic.
“What we’re looking for here is about 10,000 independent wap shops in America that will close,” Agrophytos said.
The rally was also working to create awareness in the market for vaping products in the current way.
“The FDA is trying to regulate it as a tobacco product right now, and I think it’s very important for consumers to understand that waping products do not contain tobacco,” said Agrifiotis.
While some VAP products contain a percentage of nicotine – an addictive chemical found in tobacco products – that nicotine is not necessarily taken from tobacco plants.
“The system that was set up to control these products, or even the product range that was set up, does not match.”
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