This bill which deals with the regulation of electronic cigarettes shows a profound disconnect between the perception of risk and the real risks to the residents of CT. While the aim of this bill is to protect the public from the potential risks from electronic cigarettes, the content and wording of this bill will not only cripple the vaping industry in this state, it will force countless ex-smokers back to cigarettes. This bill is literally a death sentence for hundreds if not thousands of ex-smokers in the state that have used vaping as an alternative to smoking. 

The labeling, manufacturing, and flavoring restrictions being pushed forth in this legislation would not only be extremely costly and hard to enforce, they would force almost all of the vape shops in the state to close. The FDA is currently working on a set of standards that would run parallel to what is being proposed in this bill. An industry standard put forth through the FDA that has a basis in research and a country-wide data set from which to draw conclusions would give us the best and most reasonable approach to regulation. By forcing manufacturers to change over all of their practices to accommodate the CT legislation, only to have to change again once the FDA passes regulations could bankrupt nearly all of the small to medium size businesses in this business. The only people who would be left to compete in this market would be big tobacco. Given that your goal is to keep people from smoking and to protect individuals from harm, it seems counter-intuitive to hand over an entire industry to big tobacco. 

One of the most damaging portions of this bill is the ban on flavoring. Most adult vapers indicated that they really didn't enjoy artificial tobacco flavors and would be more likely return to smoking if other flavors were not an option. A vast majority of vapers are ex-smokers. Many slowly lower their nicotine intake until they are weaned off of nicotine altogether. Forcing people to only vape tobacco flavors in a misguided attempt to protect children is the same as saying that a recovering alcoholic can only buy juice that tastes like wine, or that they can't purchase soda (a child's flavor) and can only drink O'douls. The idea is absurd and will only drive people back to smoking cigarettes. If you value the lives of your constituents you should not be forcing them back to their old dangerous habits.

I urge you to reconsider the bill, talk to real people who regularly patronize vape shops here in the state, and take a stance against big tobacco by embracing a harm reduction strategy rather than a hard line against electronic cigarettes.

Thank you for your time!