The “vape apocalypse” has begun and the places leading this destruction are New York and Michigan.
The news that both states have banned the sale of most flavored e-liquids has sent shockwaves through the vaping community, leading some avid vapers to start stocking up on flavors from popular brands like Dinner Lady, Frisco, and more.
According to one gun analyst, this hoarding is similar to people collecting guns and ammunition to challenge the Second Amendment.
As soon as President Trump started to float the idea of banning all flavored vapes, 30-year-old Corinne Gaines of Maryland started stocking up on vape juice just in case. So far, she has spent about $100 on floral flavors like Apple Twist and Amazing Mango. Her collection should last about eight months.
"I had sinus infections and pneumonia from smoking. I tried to quit many times with nicotine products like patches and gum but was unsuccessful until I started vaping. I have never gotten sick from vaping," Gaines said. "I think the Trump administration's ban on flavorings is stupid and unnecessary.
Gaines is one of dozens of people who have shared photos of their stockpiling on Reddit in the past two weeks. The photos include a 29-year-old Georgia man with more than 16 ounces of assorted e-liquids he bought from a discount store and a Nebraska man who spent $75 on 16 ounces of flavored nicotine e-liquids.
The cloud of uncertainty over the future of vaping in the US has prompted vapers to start stocking up to avoid returning to cigarettes. This worry, said Gregory Conley, president of the American Vape Association, a nonprofit advocacy group, is a time when nicotine-dependent people prepare for the worst.
"People are aware of an unreasonable law and will fight to avoid going back to smoking," Conley said. "There are smokers who, if they can't access nicotine in the way they like, are more likely to go back to smoking."
Source: CNN.
