Voices of Vapers

Dr. Tevi Troy is vice president of public policy at JUUL Labs. Prior to this, Dr. Troy served as deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He also served as the policy director for Senator John Ashcroft and domestic policy director for the House Policy Committee, chaired by Christopher Cox. Dr. Troy was the founding CEO of American Health Policy Institute, a senior fellow at Hudson Institute, and researcher at the American Enterprise Institute.

In this podcast Dr. Tevi Troy will refer to a Bloomberg piece by Joe Nocera discussing JUUL’s popularity, as well as a recent survey of 11,689 adults by the Centers for Substance Abuse Research, which found almost 50% of survey respondents quit smoking cigarettes after switching to a JUUL vaping device.

PHOTO CREDIT: Vaping360 - The Home of Vaping

Health Care News

Voices of Vapers: The Vaping Boom (Guest: Dr. Tevi Troy)

Donny Kendal presents episode #156 of the In The Tank Podcast. This week's episode features work from the California Policy Center, the Reason Foundation, and The Heartland Institute.

In The Tank (ep156) – Shock and Kavan-Awe, Sanders' BEZOS Act, and Voices of Vapers

In this episode of Voices of Vapers, Alex Clark, Chief Executive Officer of Consumer Advocates for Smoke Free Alternatives Association (CASAA) joins State Government Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud to discuss the consumer organization’s advocacy efforts. Founded in 2009, CASAA has been a leading grassroots organization that focuses on educating the public and bringing awareness to the benefits of tobacco harm reduction products. Alex has been busy this year between federal application processes, navigating flavor bans, and local taxes on tobacco harm reduction products. You can find more information about CASAA at www.casaa.org or www.thrvoter.org.

Voices of Vapers: Consumers Are the Bedrock of Vaping Advocacy (Guest: Alex Clark)

In this episode of Voices of Vapers, Fig Ramsey, president of Feels Good Vapor, joins State Government Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud to discuss the importance of advocacy as the vape industry comes under attack from federal, state, and local regulations and taxes. Fig has been instrumental in providing the funding for advocacy groups through many campaigns including #GonzoGives #FundTheFuture ##VapeTithing and #VapesGiving. You can find more information about these campaigns at www.vapetithing.com

Voices of Vapers: Importance of Vaping Advocacy in the Vaping Industry

In the latest Voices of Vapers podcast, State Government Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud talks with Guy Bentley, a research associate at Reason Foundation. Guy and Lindsey discuss Reason’s research on tobacco harm reduction, why flavors are a big thing right now, and other regulations and taxes threatening the vaping industry. For more of Guy’s work, please visit reason.org

Voices of Vapers - The Role of Research in Tobacco Harm Reduction (Guest: Guy Bentley)

In this episode of Voices of Vapers, NOT Blowing Smoke Founder Stefan Didak revisits the podcast to discuss flavor bans. After San Francisco recently passed a flavor ban on tobacco products, other states and localities are pushing similar legislation. Stefan talks about a recent hearing in Sacramento, CA, Altria’s decision to limit flavors in their own electronic cigarette devices, and why these bans threaten tobacco harm reduction.

Voice of Vapers - Flavor Bans (Guest: Stefan Didak)

In this episode of Voices of Vapers, Jennifer Higginbotham joins the podcast to discuss e-liquids and regulations imposed by the federal government on manufacturers. Jennifer is Chief Operating Officer of HiggyCigs, an e-liquid manufacturer that has been operating since 2014. Jennifer and Lindsey discuss Jennifer’s journey into electronic cigarettes, vaping devices and her company. They also talk about and how Jennifer was instrumental in helping streamline the process of product registration. She accomplished this by working with various manufacturers and the Center for Tobacco Products at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Voices of Vapers: E-Liquids, Regulations, and the Federal Government (Guest: Jennifer Higginbotham)

In this episode of Voices of Vapers, state government relations manager Lindsey Stroud talks with Tony Abboud, executive director of the Vapor Technology Association (VTA). VTA is a national trade organization representing manufacturers, wholesalers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs who have developed innovative and quality vapor products. Lindsey and Tony discuss how he found himself in the vaping industry, VTA’s work in preventing youth access to vapor products, VTA’s 50 State Joint Defense Strategy, and the organization’s work on ensuring access to flavors for adult e-cigarette users. Tony also discusses VTA’s third annual Vapor Game Plan conference, taking place in Austin, TX December 4-5. You can find more information about VTA at vaportechnology.org

Voices of Vapers: An Overview of the Vaping Industry (Guest: Tony Abboud)

Nicotine is getting a bad reputation lately. The Nicotine Queen joins State Government Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud to discuss her efforts in tobacco harm reduction. Taylor was a sales executive at Alchem USA and Nicselect and has recently joined North American Nicotine as Vice President of Sales. North America Nicotine is the exclusive importer of CNT and the world’s leading supplier of the gold standard of nicotine. 

Despite fearmongering campaigns, other than being addictive, nicotine is not harmful when used outside of combustible cigarettes. Lindsey and Taylor discuss erroneous claims around nicotine, the difference between e-liquid nicotine and nicotine salts, how the nicotine industry is currently addressing the tobacco shortages in India and China, and issues related to tobacco harm reduction products in 2019 and beyond. 

You can find more information about CNT at https://nicotineusp.com/, North America Nicotine at  https://northamericanicotine.com/. You can find Taylor on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thenicotinequeen and reach her directly at 916/472-8863.

Voices of Vapers: Fear Mongering and NICOTIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE! (Guest: Taylor Cage)

In this episode of Voices of Vapers, Washington State Representative Drew MacEwen, a republican representing the 35th House district, joins state government relations manager Lindsey Stroud to discuss vaping-related legislation. Rep. MacEwen was first elected to the House in 2012 and has been a continuous leader on tax and education funding reform. Rep. MacEwen is the current assistant floor leader and ranking member of the House Commerce and Gaming Committee, assistant ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, as well as serving on Joint Committee on Veterans' and Military Affairs and the Joint Task Force on Economic Resilience of Maritime and Manufacturing. Rep. MacEwen served in the United States navy for six years and upon completion entered the financial sector. He is the founder and president of the investment firm Falcon Financial Inc. located in Union, WA. 

More importantly, this year Rep. MacEwen has helped fight against bad vaping legislation in Washington state and is still trying to fight against a recently-passed bill that will tax vaping products. Rep. MacEwen talks about the various bills that were introduced in Washington this year, including Tobacco-21, HB 1873 – which is an egregious tax on vaping products that was heavily amended during the 2019 session, and even legislation that would have banned flavored tobacco products, as well as requiring vaping companies to be responsible for recycling used e-cigarettes and vaping devices. 

You can find more information on legislation in Washington state at: http://leg.wa.gov/. And for more information on Representative MacEwen visit: http://drewmacewen.houserepublicans.wa.gov/.

Voices of Vaperss

Voices of Vapers: Fighting for Vaping in the Evergreen State (Guest: WA State Rep. Drew MacEwen)

James Dunworth is the co-founder of E-Cigarette Direct, a rapidly expanding vaping supplies sales company founded in 2008. E-Cigarette Direct now employs 90 workers and sells regulated e-cigarette supplies through their website, shops and resellers. James is the co-author of the first peer-reviewed study into electronic cigarettes, which was published in November 2009. James has been featured in most major newspapers in the UK and has been interviewed on Sky News, BBC Wales (TV and radio), The Jeremy Vine Show, Hello Wales and Radio Free Live. James also maintains and writes for the Ashtray Blog. 

James joins State Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud to discuss the electronic cigarette market in the United Kingdom, compare UK and US vaping regulations, and touch base on the Master Settlement Agreement.

You can find James’ blog at https://www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk/ashtray-blog/ and follow him on Twitter at @inijames.

Voices of Vapers: Vaping in the UK (Guest: James Dunworth)

) In this episode of Voices of Vapers, Stefan Didak joins Heartland’s State Government Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud to talk about what is going down in California. Stefan has recently founded THR Policy and was the president and founder of NOT Blowing Smoke. Stefan started the organization as an educational resource and inadvertently became involved in legislative efforts surrounding vaping products including taxes, regulations, tobacco 21, and flavor bans. 

Stefan talks about California, from its ever-changing tax schematic and the various localities passing flavor bans, San Francisco’s push to ban e-cigarettes but not combustible cigarettes, and the hypocrisy of governments subsidizing nicotine in nicotine replacement therapy, but banning e-cigarettes and vaping devices. 

You find more information about THR Policy at http://thrpolicy.com. You can find Stefan on Facebook and Twitter.

San Francisco Bans E-Cigarettes (Guest: Stephen Didak)

Paul Blamire is a major vaping advocate in Australia. Paul helps educate people in his own country and the United States on the major health effects of vaping. A former 30 year smoker, Paul first tried vaping in 2014. Since then, Paul has created his own e-liquid line and is a major contributor to the do-it-yourself community. The do-it-yourself community is useful for countries like Australia, as their regulations on liquid nicotine are even more restrictive than the United States’.

Paul joins The Heartland Institute’s State Government Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud to discuss vaping in Australia, the impacts of Australian law on other countries and what we can expect for the future of tobacco harm reduction. You can find more information at Legalise Vaping Australia and the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association (AHTRA).

Vaping in the Land Down Under (Guest: Paul Blamire)

Matthew Elliott joins Heartland State Government Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud to discuss his work fighting for vapers' rights in New York state and the country. 

Matthew Elliott smoked for 15 years and has been smoke free for five years now. Matthew is a member of the Vaping Legion, an advocacy organization that not keeps vapers informed of legislation, but also acts a watchdog by enforcing strict adherence to self-imposed regulation, including calling out bad labeling and pushing for further restrictions on youth. Though Matthew considers himself a "small consumer advocate and activist," he has traveled from New York to D.C., as well as state capitols, to fight for vapers' rights. 

Matthew and Lindsey discuss his journey, legislation that came out of localities and the state of New York, and what to expect. You can find out more about the Vaping Legion on their YouTube and Twitter pages.

The Nonsense Out of the Empire State (Guest: Matthew Elliott)

Gregory Conley is an attorney in New Jersey and president of the American Vaping Association (AVA). The AVA is a nonprofit advocacy organization that champions the use of vapor products and electronic cigarettes to help smokers quit. AVA has testified in over a dozen states and localities, on behalf of vapor products and his work has been featured in in outlets in several countries and Greg has spoken at dozens of conferences and conventions

Conley joins Heartland State Government Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud to discuss the various legislative actions that happened across the states in 2019, including taxes and banning flavors. The two then address the recent media alarmism concerning vaping-related hospitalizations, which are continuing to be linked to black market vaping products. 

You can find out more information about the American Vaping Association at www.vaping.org.

Clearing the Smoke on Vaping-Related Hospitalizations (Guest: Gregory Conley)

Stefan Didak, founder of Not Blowing Smoke, and currently operating the public affairs firm Ignyter joins State Government Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud to discuss the history of flavor bans in California, LA’s recent flavor ban and how these have spread to other states, including Michigan, New York and Rhode Island.

Stefan and Lindsey talk about solutions to the issue of youth use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices, how “Big Tobacco” did not create vaping products as a gimmick to attract kids, what to expect in the coming months and the consequences of inaction.

You can contact Stefan on Facebook and Twitter.

Voices of Vapers: California’s Bad Flavor Bans Have Spread to Other States (Guest: Stefan Didak)

In this episode of Voices of Vapers, Matt Culley joins The Heartland Institute’s State Government Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud to discuss a recently proposed flavor ban in Montana. 

Culley, quit smoking seven years ago after being diagnosed with oral cancer. Culley and Stroud discuss his journey, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock’s recent vaping ban and address the media fearmongering surrounding vaping-related hospitalizations, which are being linked to the use of black market vaping products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Voices of Vapers: A Can of Worms in Big Sky Country

In this episode of Voices of Vapers, Marc Slis joins State Government Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud to discuss the latest out of Michigan Gov. Whitmer banned flavors in nicotine-containing e-cigarettes in September. Slis is a 55-year-old father of three who smoked for 41 years and in 2014 "wandered" into a vape shop and effectively quit smoking. Slis would later buy that same vape shop and has helped 1,000 other people quit smoking. 

Slis and Stroud discuss Gov. Whitmer's executive order, his subsequent lawsuit in which a judge issued a temporary restraining order on the ban, and legislation that has been introduced by Representatives Johnson and LeFave. Slis also chats about Michigan Vape Shop Owners (MVSO). MVSO is a trade group, representing manufacturers and brick and mortar vape shops throughout Michigan that have come together to work for sensible legislation, to keep vaping safe and legal in Michigan. You can find more information at mymvso.org

Michigan's Flavor Madness: A Governor, Some Lawmakers, and the Courts (Guest: Marc Slis)

Bill Wikstrom, president of the Mississippi Vaping Advocacy Association joins The Heartland Institute’s State Government Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud to discuss Mississippi’s recent 2019 gubernatorial election and vaping issues in the Magnolia state. Wikstrom is a retried combat veteran and owns two companies including 13 vape shops and an e-liquid distribution company. 

Stroud and Wikstrom discuss the election results, including the impact of vapers turning out to the polls, as well as the current e-cigarette regulations in Mississippi, the Mississippi Vaping Advocacy Association, and what to expect in 2020. You can find more information about the Mississippi Vaping Advocacy Association at msvaa.org.

The Heartland Institute

Voices of Vapers: Making Political Waves in the Magnolia State (Guest: Bill Wikstrom)

Reason Foundation’s Policy Analyst Jacob Rich joins The Heartland Institute’s State Government Relations Manager Lindsey Stroud to discuss Reason’s latest Policy Study Does Menthol Cigarette Distribution Affect Child or Adult Cigarette Use?

In this episode, Jacob and Lindsey discuss the results of the study, specifically noting that Reason’s analysis found states with “more menthol cigarette consumptions relative to all cigarettes have lower rates of child smoking.” The findings of the study are included into a broader discussion on menthol bans and their effects on cigarette consumption and other policy implications. 

You can find Reason’s study at https://reason.org/policy-study/does-menthol-cigarette-distribution-affect-child-or-adult-cigarette-use/.  You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @jacobjamesrich and at jacobrich.com.

Budget & Tax News

Menthol Bans Won’t Reduce Youth Tobacco Use (Guest: Jacob Rich)

The “fire hose” of all podcasts produced by The Heartland Institute, a national free-market think tank. Policy ideas and discussions that will keep Freedom Rising.

Voices of Vapers

The Heartland Daily Podcast