F E AT U R E
“ N O W I T ’ S S I M P LY T O O L AT E . A U G U S T 8 T H ,
2 0 1 6 H A S A L R E A D Y PA S S E D A N D T H U S T H E
R E G U L AT I N G H A S B E G U N . C O M E T H E N E W
Y E A R , T H E P M TA P R O C E S S W I L L B E G I N A N D
B U S I N E S S E S W I L L VA N I S H . ”
others did as much as they could to
spread awareness and participated in
advocacy. It is only appropriate to stress
that a lot of companies truly did as much
as they could do and spent as much as
they could afford. However, more than
most Vape-related companies surely
did not expect that when the hammer
finally came down that they would be
using a giant sledgehammer by installing
a prohibition on everything that made
the industry unique and promising.
Now it’s simply too late. August 8th,
2016 has already passed and thus the
regulating has begun. Come the New
Year, the PMTA process will begin and
businesses will vanish. It will be a sad
beginning to 2017 as small businesses
close their doors for good during this
“Devaporization of America.”
This particular issue is near and dear to
me, due to the fact that my Father owns
a restaurant - a very small business
typically employing 6-8 workers.
Therefore, I have lived in the world of
small business for nearly 4 years and the
rate at which smaller business ownership
is preyed upon by the government is
rampant and inexplicable.
In Thomas Jefferson’s First Inaugural
Address, on March 4, 1801, he was
quoted as saying:
“What more is necessary to make us a
happy and a prosperous people? Still
one thing more, fellow-citizens — a
wise and frugal Government, which
shall restrain men from injuring one
another, shall leave them otherwise
free to regulate their own pursuits of
industry and improvement, and shall not
take from the mouth of labor the bread
it has earned. This is the sum of good
government, and this is necessary to
close the circle of our felicities.”
T here are countless national and local
organizations or associations which
are all claiming to be Dedicated to
the preserving of the Small Business
Community, which I applaud. However,
most of these groups will only advocate
and protect the businesses which pay for
annual memberships. Those who provide
financial contributions are provided a
number of resources, services and loyal
representation. Were Vape-Related
businesses ever advised to join these
organizations? From this, numerous
inquiries go unanswered.
Did vaping advocacy groups ever
suggest to businesses within the vape
industry that this would be a beneficial
strategy? Do these pro-small-business
groups not want to be associated with
the vape community? Would it even
matter if these particular groups were
involved with assisting vape-related
businesses? Or, are there a number of
vape shops and eLiquid manufacturers
who already are members? Either
way, this is a topic worth mentioning
and perhaps food for thought to many
small businesses out there. After all,
the U.S. government is systematically
bringing down small businesses across
the nation. My recommendation is to
keep your eyes and ears open. If the
government can take down a billion
dollar industry, what else can it bring
with it?
VAPOUROUND MAGAZINE USA 69