The cost of e-liquids and devices is growing as the vape mail ban implementation continues to put pressure on both physical and digital shop owners. Not only does the cost of shipping privately increase the buying prices for consumers, but it also prevents e-cig technology from reaching the hands of those that need it to quit smoking.
What are the current restrictions on mailing e-cigs across the U.S.?
Updated regulations in 2021 have brought about a lot of changes to the e-cig industry, one of which is the omnibus spending bill that was signed into law in late 2020 by then-President Trump. It included the following two items:
- The Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act of 2009 now applies to all vaping products. Any company shipping products across state lines must now keep a record of their sales and transmit those records to the tobacco taxation authorities in the locations to which the company ships. The paperwork is now a requirement imposed by the PACT Act, affecting small retailers. This is also one of the factors driving up the costs of vape mail.
- USPS was the first company to implement a ban on the shipments of vaping products to consumers. This ban applied to both devices and e-liquids. Many vapers now refer to the 2021 omnibus spending as the “vape mail ban” for that reason.
FedEx followed suit with other mail carriers a couple of months later in banning the delivery of vape mail, causing many local e-cig shops to raise prices for their consumers.
What are consumers doing in hopes the vape mail ban is reversed?
On July 12, 2021, more than 400 vape companies urged FedEx to reverse its recent policy, prohibiting these companies from shipping and receiving vaping products. These businesses, along with the American Vaping Association, signed a letter to insist that the mail carrier’s delivery ban be revoked, as it prevents consumers from obtaining the products they need to remain smoke-free.
FedEx’s current restrictions do not allow the shipment of vape mail from business to business or directly to consumers, greatly affecting those living in rural communities.
Many vapers and vape shop owners believe that if consumers cannot access or afford e-cigs, they will be forced to turn back to combustible tobacco as a last-ditch effort to curb their nicotine cravings.
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