Keenan, one of the key lawmakers behind the 2019 law, tells Axios he's also asking Senate leaders for more state funding for the Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program, which runs awareness campaigns about health defects tied to smoking.
Its report also recommends giving the Department of Revenue's criminal investigation bureau more teeth and changing the law so retailers caught illegally buying and selling smuggled tobacco and nicotine products get their license suspended or revoked. The current penalty is $5,000 and/or up to five years of prison time, with a smaller penalty for violations involving fewer than 12,000 cigarettes.Opponents of the 2019 law say it hasn't stopped people from buying flavored vaping products. They just buy it out of state or on the black market, which cuts into retailers' profits and the state's tax coffers.
"Both organized criminals and petty smugglers are reaping millions from this newly created illicit market while the state is being forced to spend more and more on enforcement, with no long-term plan in place," Peter Brennan, executive director of the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association,
Shocking that a ban has created a black market isn't it!? This never happened with any prohibitionist tactics with any other substances before....
Great. Depicting a susatainable vaping device from 2016. (you're talking disposables, no?) is just one more piece of evidence -among multiple- about how little media, public, health orgs[on purpose] know about a life-saving massively harm reduced, effective stopp-smok aid. No thx
YSK, there are consequences to forcing e-cigs with tobacco habituation flavors on teens. stephmsolis
Please Re-think your opinion about tobacco harm reduction products. Make the compassionate choice to embrace THR, save smokers lives and lower cancer rates by 30%. Please see links and text below. CancerMoonshot
Considering that heart disease is now the number one killer of Americans you'd think that state Legislatures would come down hard on McDonalds. But, nah.
LizMair They created a black market and dig it so much they are doubling down on it.
Prohibition leads to black markets? Who could have foreseen that?
US teen nicotine vaping has plummeted nationwide, including in states that did not prohibit 'flavored' nicotine vapes. All MA's ecig 'flavor' ban accomplished is to: -create an illicit market -cause cigarette sales to increase -cause some teen nicotine vapers to switch to THC
Any reason you're firing journalists who tell fascists that the propaganda they just spammed them with is, in fact, propaganda? I'm very curious.
BenMontgomery - by surrendering to DeSantis, you have taught him that bullying the media works. I used to respect you. Now, I see Cowards.
There was a demand before, and there still is.
Imagine if you used science instead of muscle to fight addiction, wild concept right?