Letters being received by NC vape shops now on NC's new laws & taxes

[Orbital-Lexicon]

A friend of mine who owns a vape shop in Wilmington, NC just sent me an unsettling message and it looks like Big Tobacco has nudged in a point with their campaigns of disinformation. Apparently, all NC shops just got letters stating a .05 cent tax on all e-liguids that contain nicotine (regardless of nicotine content level), and 12.8 percent tax (why the .8?) on e-cigs (mods and the like) and they all have to get a tobacco license now. The NC government sites protecting our youth as one of it's motivators for these tax hikes, but a quick look at the states Public School System tells me that's just not true. This will probably do a few things, some good and probably more bad. I, for one, am already down to 3% nic liquid, so I think I will drop into zero land for what I vape on and I am certain many more will do the same. I am sure a lot more people will do what I do and get in to building their own mods, which is great for the DIY community, but terrible for the local shops that we all love to visit and spend money with. I guess the same will be true for folks DIY'ing their own e-juice, because if their is .05 cent tax per ml, then why not buy a gallon of 100mg nic concentrate and make your own? I guess this just blows my mind. Big Tobacco has successfully hooked in the anti-tobacco groups to gang up with them against the vaping community. Disinformation is obviously easy to throw at a wall and make stick. Do these anti-tobacco groups not realize how many people have quit smoking cigarettes because of vaping or do they just not care? I would think that if I were running a group like that, seeking out quality information on vaping would be important. Not in NC. Being an avid vape enthusiast with great interest in the local economies, I am curious to see how this plays out in the coming months.

http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2015/04/a-rundown-of-the-nc-general-assemblys-latest-bills

 

[Smoky Blue]

that stinks, @Orbital-Lexicon Hope there might be a way to make them see the light.

 

[Orbital-Lexicon]

I agree. Big tobacco is definitely on the wrong side of this battle. Unfortunately they refuse to see it. They will see the light in a few years, though. What do they think we are going to do? Go BACK to cigarettes? Ummmm...negative.

 

[Kent B Marshall]

Are you a member of http://casaa.org/ ?
CASAA will help keep you informed on Federal, State and local government e-cigarette regulatory actions.

 

[Orbital-Lexicon]

I am now! Thanks, Kent! I am looking through some of the "call to action" info now.