“S. 1253, which is the Senate version of HR 3842, is being fast-tracked through committee. This bill would prohibit the U.S. Postal Service from accepting packages of vapor products for delivery. While this is not an all-out ban on online sales (private carriers like UPS and FedEx offer signature on delivery), it would raise the cost of purchasing vapor products (by $15-$20 per shipment) for people who depend on being able to have safer alternatives delivered to their door (i.e. people who live in rural areas, people who are unable to be home to sign for deliveries, etc…) by requiring signature on delivery,” explained CASAA.
“Age verification platforms already exist which make this law unnecessary. Prohibiting the USPS from delivering vapor products will force legal-age consumers to pay extra for an unnecessary layer of age verification,” CASAA.
The association added that while it is understandable that lawmakers would be doing their utmost to prevent youth access to the products, this bill would fall short in serving this purpose. The legislation would not address access to social sources or illegal sellers on popular social media platforms, where many teens obtain their devices. On the other hand, it would make it hard for people living in small towns and urban neighborhoods where vape shops might not exist, to obtain the safer alternatives.
This ban will only affect non-targeted groups
To this effect, CASAA is urging vapers to speak up and sign a petition. “Age verification platforms already exist which make this law unnecessary. Prohibiting the USPS from delivering vapor products will force legal-age consumers to pay extra for an unnecessary layer of age verification,” it explains.
The petition explains that while the vaping industry agrees with doing the utmost to prevent teen access to vaping products, S.1253 will just make it harder for law-abiding consumers to purchase the safer alternatives. “Young people will still have access to these products through lapses in employee training at c-stores and social media sources like instagram and snapchat (the same sources responsible for selling illicit THC cartridges responsible for thousands of lung injuries).”
