We hope your business is doing well in these difficult times. During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we are updating everyone on how this pandemic is affecting vape shops around the world. Here at eJuices.co, we would like to assist your business as much as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is some vaping news from around the world.
Just north of the border, the Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) stated that vape shops are essential services and should stay open. Premier Doug Ford argued against keeping vape shops open, while CVA Executive Director Darryl Tempest said, “Many vapers who require nicotine vapor products do not have access to online channels. By limiting sales to e-commerce only, the black market will flourish, and unsafe products will enter the market. Additionally, vapers with the ability to order online may be forced back to smoking to cope with the mental stress of these difficult times as they wait for online orders to ship with no other access point available.” eJuices.co’s stance is consistent with that of the CVA, arguing that local vape shops should try to stay open as much as possible and provide curbside pickup and delivery services if legally possible in their state or jurisdiction.
In Europe, where COVID-19 has hit particularly hard, some countries have continued to keep vape shops open. Previously, France, Spain, and Italy had closed down vape shops, but they have reopened those shops after some debate. Dr. Riccardo Polosa, an Italian doctor and one of the leading authorities on vape in Europe, has suggested that vape shops should remain open throughout the COVID-19 crisis, another affirmation of eJuices.co’s stance on vape as an essential service.
The United Kingdom, a country that has seen vaping in a more positive light, is seeing a movement to keep vape shops open. The UK Vaping Industry Association stated, “Dr Riccardo Polosa, a world-renowned scientist and researcher on vaping and tobacco harm reduction and founder of the Centre of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction, successfully argued that due to the stress caused by the coronavirus, with the closure of vape shops vapers were highly likely to go back to smoking cigarettes to maintain their nicotine needs. This could be dangerous from a public health perspective and could heighten the risk of exposure of tobacco smoke to bystanders during the crisis, including families and children. It could also place a further burden on an already overstretched health system.”
In India, the outlook is looking grim for vape. The Union Health Ministry proposed the Prohibition of E-Cigarettes Ordinance 2019 last year, proposing a fine of 1 lakh ($1,400) and up to one year of jail time for first-time violators, and Rs 5 lakh ($7,000) and up to three years of jail for repeat offenders. In January, a modified version of the bill passed, prohibiting trade, transport, storage, and advertisement of e-cigarettes, but excluded personal consumption. However, tourists have had their devices confiscated at airports. As previously mentioned, health authorities in the UK have supported vaping as a form of harm reduction, and about 850,000 visitors from the UK visit India, with about 50,000 of those visitors being vapers. Compounded with the COVID-19 crisis, India is considered a nation that is very unfriendly to the vaping industry, yet enforcement remains unclear.
Dental experts in the Philippines are encouraging patients to switch to vaping and other alternative nicotine products as a method of harm reduction. Former Philippine Dental Association president Fernando Fernandez, who is currently the president of the Philippine College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (PCOMS), said, “For those who cannot or do not want to quit smoking by themselves or with currently approved methods, we convince them to switch to non-combustible alternatives.” While he did not specifically mention vaping itself, he did mention “non-combustible alternatives” which commonly includes vaping. However, vaping in public and enclosed areas in the Philippines is outlawed by executive order. The executive order also includes a ban on e-cigarettes, making the Philippines one of the most vape-unfriendly nations in the world.
That’s all for this edition of the State of Vape. What sort of vape news have you heard from around the world? Please let us know in the comments below. In addition, if you have any questions or concerns, you can always contact your eJuices.co account manager or sales representative.