Mississippi Senate Bill SB 2441 is a carefully crafted scheme known as the Big Tobacco Protection Act. SB 2441 has been introduced and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

At the moment there is no hearing scheduled, but we expect that to change and we’ll update this alert as more information becomes available.

If enacted, this law would effectively make the state of Mississippi an enforcement arm of the Food and Drug Administration empowering state authorities to enforce the disastrous federal anti-vaping regulations. It selectively enforces FDA regulations to create a Big Tobacco monopoly that is funded by residents of Mississippi.

SB 2441 would put independent vape shops out of business, destroy hundreds of jobs, and place thousands of people at risk of returning to smoking, and delaying transition to non-combustible alternatives.

Please take a minute to send an email to your lawmakers urging them to oppose SB 2441 !

Click here or on the CASAA banner above to make your voice heard. This law will serve as a vape ban that provides Big Tobacco with a monopoly while criminalizing the sales of popular flavored vapes. 

CRITICISMS OF PMTA REGISTRY BILLS

1. Structured so that the tobacco industry’s vape products remain on market, despite also not having received PMTA authorization, while barring their less expensive competition for having not received final FDA approval.
2. Serves as a flavor ban, denying adult vapers the flavors they prefer. An FDA funded study found cigarette sales increase in areas with flavor bans.
3. Bars the sale of popular disposable vapes, which are ideal for initiates and not coincidentally compete head-to-head with prefilled pod kits made by Big Tobacco.
4. Harms small businesses, vape shops and convenience stores, by removing high-volume and profitable products while leaving only lower margin tobacco industry vapes on shelves.
5. The law runs contrary to spirit of consumer choice, freedom and entrepreneurship, barring products released after 2016 and denying adult vapers the smoke and ash-free combustible cigarette alternatives they prefer. 

MISSISSIPPI WILL FUND BIG TOBACCO MONOPOLY

The price difference between independent vape industry products and those made by Big Tobacco is staggering. It costs over $200 to vape 30ml of e-liquid from a Vuse Alto. For Juul users, that cost increases to nearly $350 per 30ml.

A Lost Mary MT15000 Turbo costs a $63 to vape the same amount of e-liquid. The difference for the average user can equal a car lease or student loan payment. 

This table does not even account for the fact that a legally enforced monopoly will provide the tobacco industry with the freedom to raise prices further. What is the worst that can happen? Profitable cigarettes sold in place of vapes?

Consumer freedom, choice, and your pocketbook will take a huge hit if the Mississippi Vape Sales Ban is to pass.