Vape shop
[60] Although there continue to be independently owned vape shops, from economic and political perspectives the e-cigarette business is now part of the traditional tobacco industry.
[60] The smaller operators, who are independent sellers of e-cigarettes (so-called vape shops), are losing market share to the large tobacco companies.
[71] After several complaints from concerned parents received by the sheriff's office an investigation uncovered high-school students were buying Black Magic.
[73] A handful of vape shops sell antique signs and trinkets to decorate one's home or crafts from regional artists.
[53] Many e-cigarette companies have proposed to retailers the idea to convert part of their current location into a mini vape shop.
They also intend to make the shop accessible to encourage sales of e-cigarette-related products (vaping equipment, e-liquids, and hobby-related items such as t-shirts and magazines).
A majority of vape shops primarily use social media outlets (e.g. 100% Facebook, 86% Instagram and Yelp, 65% Twitter, 38% YouTube) and special events open to the community (57%) for marketing.
[85] "From July to October 2016, several vape shops and online retailers have incorporated Pokémon Go as part of promotions on Twitter, linking game performance with discounts on their products," a 2017 report stated.
[97] The City Council of Malden, Massachusetts received quite a few complaints following a vape shop opening near the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School.
[98] Pleasantville, New York Board of Education officials in 2017 were concerned over a vape shop opening near schools, learning centers and other locations attended by young people.
[100] New Rochelle, New York officials in 2017 proposed regulation to stop smoke and vape shops from selling nicotine-based products within 500 feet of youth-based institutions.
[108] In order to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace, vape shop owners and managers commonly stated that they distinguish their stores from others through customer service and new products, according to a 2018 report.
[90] The relational dimension of vape shops may contribute to the spread of information about e-cigarettes including new products, forms of use, and health-related issues.
[90] Thus, while the US FDA has required warning labels on products and advertisements, it cannot control what vape shop owners and staff communicate to their customers or where they get information.
[42] Michelle LaBarbera, representing the Vapor Group Inc. located in Davie, Florida, said in 2014, "A very big part of employment at a vape shop is not just understanding how the product works and being able to explain it, but also being able to figure out what may be wrong with it.
[111] In April 2016 a minor lost the ability to see in one eye and was burned when a vape shop employee in a Brooklyn, New York mall inserted the incorrect battery into an e-cigarette and it blew up.
"[91] A 2017 United States Department of Health and Human Services report evaluated concerns about exposure to vaping-related chemicals in a vape shop.
[91] The 2017 United States Department of Health and Human Services report concluded, "Employees were exposed to detectable levels of diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione in the air while working in the vape shop.
Although the measured concentrations were below all applicable OELs, to better protect the health of employees we recommend that the employer implement a policy prohibiting vaping in the work place with e-liquids that contain diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione.
[135] E-cigarettes sold at retailers is greater in US states with minimal clean indoor air policies and in areas with low cigarette taxes.
[62] Sales tanked sharply in the US as users were concerned by the initial government reports of individuals falling ill or dying following vaping in 2019.
[155] Jennifer Miller, representing the Lung Association of Saskatchewan, said they are primarily concerned for employees of vape shops who will inhale exhaled e-cigarette vapor.
[163] England and Wales councils are urging a 2024 ban on single-use vapes due to environmental and health concerns, as 1.3 million are discarded weekly.
Effective August 8, 2016, under the Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) rules, a vape shop that mixes or prepares e-liquids, or makes or modifies any kind of e-cigarettes, is regulated as a tobacco product manufacturer.
[58] Vape shops cannot hand out free samples to patrons or sell to individuals under 18 years of age and, in most cases, cannot grant refunds of money or product exchanges.
[173] Five individuals were arrested for selling e-cigarette products to patrons under 21 years of age at vape shops in Suffolk County, New York in December 2017, local police stated.
In fact, just since the beginning of March, US FDA compliance checks have uncovered 40 violations for illegal sales of JUUL products to youth.
And we anticipate taking many more similar actions as a result of the ongoing blitz and our focus on enforcement related to youth access," US FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb stated on April 24, 2018.
[196] In January 2018, vape shops in 5 US states have taken legal action disputing a rule established by the US FDA that declares e-cigarettes and similar devices to be regulated as tobacco products.
[207] A 2018 report stated, "E-cigarette marketing strategies such as those observed at the 2017 World Vapor Expo echo earlier cigarette promotions infamously used by the tobacco industry to attract consumers, most notably teenagers.
