FDA Cracking down on Vapes

Disclaimer: Starting off this blog post by stating that I am a huge fan of vaping. I do it myself. However, this is not a blog about whether people should be vaping or if it is dangerous. This is all about adult choice.

The FDA is looking into banning vape flavors other than (tobacco and menthol). Why? Because of the supposed epidemic on teen vaping. Here is the issue banning these flavors may stop teens from vaping all together but taking choices away for adults is not the answer. 

The FDA previously said that they are going to do a trial on taking to option away from convenience stores from selling vapes. They believe that adult only vape stores do a much better job of IDing those wanting to purchase vape products. This is all well and good, don’t take the choices away from adults but move their options to another location.

Here is the bad thing about their logic.

Sales Associate: Hi how are you today?

Customer: I am doing great and you

Sales Associate: I am doing great thank you may I see your ID

Customer: *pulls out their ID and hands it to the sales rep*

Sales Associate: *checks the ID making sure the customer is over the legal age and sells them what they came in for*

Customer: *goes out to their car and hands it to the person in the passenger seat*

Wait did that just happen? Did a minor just get vape products with out even going into the store? The logic behind banning adults from buying the things they should have the right to chose to buy because minors are illegally getting them would be like doing the same thing with alcohol.

How many of us drank under the legal age in your country? I know I did. Never once did I go into a store and buy it. I had cousins, friends, and even my mom buying alcohol for me when I was under the legal age for drinking in my country (21).

My whole point here is I don’t agree with taking the choices and rights away from adults just because teens are illegally getting ahold of vapor products. Make harsher punishments for those who get vapes for the minor or punish the teen and their parents for vaping.

Bump stock ban what is next?

I want to start off this post by saying “I am not against the banning nor for the keeping of bump stocks”

This blog post is not about whether I think they should be banned or not. This blog post is about the tactics they are using to ban  a legally obtained item. Most of us have heard about pleading the 5^th in court. 

 

 The Fifth Amendment says.

"No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

I would like us to pay attention to the last line about private property. “nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation”. This is a big part of the constitution, our property that we legally gained can not be forcefully taken from us with out compensation. Now that’s not to say that they can’t make things illegal for the greater good. Like I said I am not giving my opinion on whether they should be banned or not.

Who is to say they will not do the same with other products we have legally obtained? Think about the vape market right now. The FDA is desperately trying to get Vapes out of the hands of minors. What is stopping our government from forcing American citizens to turn over or destroy all vapor related products? Violent video games are another hot topic with the government. Some think that it is promoting violence and not showing what death really is. If you kill someone on a game, they almost always come back. Some children are unable to separate reality from fiction. Just as easily the government could ban violent video games. 

It doesn’t matter what side of the fence you stand on, we should all be scared and outraged that our government is forcing citizens to dispose of legally obtained items with no composition.