Candidates in full swing on campaign trails in the 2016 elections should take note, you are not immune to the power in numbersof former smokers. "Vapers" are paying close attention to every politician, and everylaw on e-cigarettes being suggested or imposed, and they claimthey will vote accordingly.
It seems that's no idle threat. Americans For Tax Reform's Paul Blair recently reported former New Mexico Democrat Rep. Elizabeth Thomson is already out of office. In his article "Vaping Claimed First Victim One Year Ago" he stated that the"victim" didn't die; instead "voters kicked her out of office for her baseless assault on vapor products and the consumers and voters who use them." Voters are fed up with rhetoric over the product that has taken them away from smoking by the millions.
Laws are already in place in some municipalities, usually imposedby amending no smoking laws. Some states have passed laws designed to keep access of e-cigarettes to minors -long after the industry had already self-imposed those rules.
Chicago has just imposed an outrageous tax to e-cigarette consumers, of80 centseach, and 55 centsper ml of e-liquid -a tax that they estimate will bring ina million dollars a year in new revenue. This isn't normal state sales tax. Liquid coming in a 10ml bottle will now have a $5.50 tax imposed, nearly doubling the cost. Vapers are screaming to politicians "I vape, I vote" with much healthier lungs, revolution style.
If you don't believe the number of vapers are strong enough, consider a smoker who stopped smoking with an e-cigarette.
That itself has given the individual a sense of empowerment. Then, consider the Centers for Disease control's claim of over 9 million Americans now using e-cigarettes, add in one family member persuaded to vote against a politician for that reason alone. Now the math says 18 million voters. Politicians shouldtake note of the public health revolution and watch for the "I vape, I vote" roar in upcoming elections.
Business owners & employees of vape shops -and their families -are also voters. Consumer organizations like Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA), The Vaping Militia and Not Blowing Smoke are rallying their members in droves to play a more active part in the political process.
The Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association (SFATA), The National Vapers Club, Vaping Industry Strategic Truth Alliance (VISTA Truth, Inc.) VISTA, and the American Vaping Association (AVA) are heavily involvedat the industry level, representing business owners and fighting alongside themat thelocal, state and federal levels of politics.
They are writing letters, calling their local and state representatives and calling the White House in a steadily increasing flood of protest.
In the United Kingdom individuals motivated by upcoming laws created the world's first vaping political party, called Vapers In Power. That decision created landmark awareness of "the role of vaping in public health and to educate and enlighten the general public on the subject of vaping".
In America states are bleeding red due to lack of funds from plummeting cigarette sales and mismanaged Master Settlement Agreement funds. Educated, aware and angered voters are being strong-armed by politicians to pay tax on what clearly is not smoking. By doing so, and having vapers more aware of these issues, politicians will certainly hear "I vape, I vote" in future elections, all the way to the White House in 2016.
