NEW CDC REPORT SHOWS YOUTH VAPING DECLINE

NEW CDC REPORT SHOWS YOUTH VAPING DECLINE TENNESSEE – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a new report that shows a decline of almost 2 million in teens who reported vaping in 2020. The report comes on the heels of other studies that confirmed teen smoking overall has shown a dramatic decline in recent years. The Tennessee Smoke Free Association, a trade organization with a focus on Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) through the use of personal vaporizers, today applauded the news of dropping e-cigarette use among teens. “There has been a significant effort on the part of the Tennessee Smoke Free Association, and other organizations like ours around the world, to discourage those under 21 years of age from using e-cigarette and vapor products,” said Dimitris Agrafiotis, Executive Director of the TSFA. “As with the previous studies, we have also been very encouraged by the confirmation that using vapor products does not typically lead to smoking traditional tobacco products. Many of our association members–myself included–are former cigarette smokers who have kicked the habit completely by responsibly using vapor products.” The CDC’s study comes as health organizations have raised the alarm about teen vaping, leading to regulations in some states that have nearly put those who sell vapor products out of business. Many of the retailers in Tennessee that sell the products are small business owners, who have been struggling during the pandemic and have had to deal with different lockdown orders across the state by adapting quickly–for example, offering curbside services. “The Tennessee Smoke Free Association continues to support regulations that prohibit teens from smoking or vaping. We do not market to teens or initiate vape use to non-smokers. We fully support strong regulations like limiting tobacco sales to those 21 and up, and harsher punishments for anyone caught selling nicotine-containing or illegal vape products to minors,” said Agrafiotis. “But we will continue to fight for responsible adults who use vaping as a way to kick the harmful and deadly habit of smoking.” The Tennessee Smoke Free Association is consumer advocacy group and trade organization with a focus on Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) through the use of personal vaporizers (electronic cigarettes) and other smokeless tobacco products shown to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with smoking. We focus on the prevention of tobacco harm and seek to cooperate with the Tennessee Health Agencies to function for the greater health of the Tennessee public as well as monitoring the legislation for or against our movement of tobacco harm reduction. The TSFA was formed in 2014 to provide support and education regarding alternative methods of THR after seeing many years of failed attempts by our public health agencies to reduce smoking rates in the region. *The TSFA has local small business owners across the state available for interviews, including on camera. Please call/text 615-812-5272 for more information. Contact: Dimitris Agrafiotis, [email protected] Ph: 423-451-6150 https://tnsmokefree.org/ Or Kara Owen, [email protected] Ph: 615-812-5272

STUDIES: Teen smoking down dramatically, shows vaping does not lead to regular tobacco use

TENNESSEE – Two recent studies show positive trends in relation to teen smoking–the rate of
teenagers smoking cigarettes has fallen dramatically, and those who have tried tobacco vaping
products do not progress to smoking cigarettes. The Tennessee Smoke Free Association, a
trade organization with a focus on Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) through the use of personal
vaporizers, are today pointing to the studies to dispel the myths that surround vapor products,
and doing so one day before World Vape Day 2020. The studies dispute the popular belief
that vaping is a ‘gateway’ to smoking traditional tobacco products.

“The best news is that the smoking rate of 12th graders fell by an unprecedented 25 percent last
year,” said Dimitris Agrafiotis, Executive Director of the Tennessee Smoke Free
Association. “We are also very encouraged by the confirmation that using vapor products does
not typically lead to smoking traditional tobacco products. Many of our association members–
myself included–are former cigarette smokers who have kicked the habit completely by
responsibly using vapor products.”

In the first study 1 , researchers in the UK analyzed the results of the 2014-2017 US National
Youth Tobacco Survey, and concluded that less than 1% of US adolescents who use e-
cigarettes first became established cigarette smokers. Additionally, the annual Monitoring the
Future study 2 showed that teen smoking rates continue to fall–by 21 percent in 2018, and 25
percent in 2019.

1 https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2020/02/19/tobaccocontrol-2019-055283
2 https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/monitoring-future

“The Tennessee Smoke Free Association continues to support regulations that prohibit teens
from smoking or vaping. We do not market to teens or initiate vape use to non-smokers. We
fully support strong regulations like limiting tobacco sales to those 21 and up, and harsher
punishments for anyone caught selling nicotine-containing or illegal vape products to minors,”
said Agrafiotis. “But we will continue to fight for responsible adults who use vaping as a way to
kick the harmful and deadly habit of smoking.”

The Tennessee Smoke Free Association is consumer advocacy.

TSFA 2019 Legislative Conference – November 13

 

The Tennessee Smoke Free Association is holding our 2019 annual pre-legislative conference on Wednesday, November 13th. This is the most critical time for the vapor industry. We invite all Tennessee vapor industry to participate and see what the TSFA has been doing and our future plans and strategy.

Agenda Includes:

• PAC update
• Vapor retailer state licensing
• Budget Update
• Legislature Education Training
• PR Update and upcoming projects
• 2020 Proposals & Lobby Strategy
• Networking & Fellowship
• Featured speakers Erika Vick (Bass, Berry, & Sims PLC) and Megan Crisp (Crisp Communications)
• Guest speaker Lindsey Stroud with Heartland Institute

Lunch with be provided

Important: For security reasons, the Pinnacle Building will not allow anyone in that is not on the RSVP list.  Please be sure to RSVP, including the names of each person attending with you, via email to Lana James at [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you there. For questions and information, you may contact 423-903-2023.

Facebook Event information can be found here.

Saturday, December 1st at 10:0o am
The Pinnacle at Symphony Place
Founders Room
150 Third Ave South, Suite 2800
Nashville, TN

Tennessee Smoke Free Association Calls on Public Health Officials to Find out all the Facts Related to E-Cig Incidents Industry-Standard Vape Products Are Intended to Help Adult Smokers Quit

Tennessee Smoke Free Association Calls on Public Health Officials to Find out all the Facts Related to E-Cig Incidents Industry-Standard Vape Products Are Intended to Help Adult Smokers Quit

 

The Tennessee Smoke Free Association (TSFA), whose small-business members provide industry-standard vape products that are helping adult smokers quit, is calling on public health officials to investigate recent reports of e-cigarette hospitalizations to find out all the facts related to the incidents.

From Dimitris Agrafiotis, Executive Director of Tennessee Smoke Free Association:

“First and foremost, vape products are for adult smokers looking to quit the deadly habit— not teenagers experimenting with unknown substances. Public health officials need to investigate all of the facts surrounding these incidents before assigning a blanket condemnation against industry-standard vape products.”

TSFA is a network of 100+ independent vape shops dedicated to helping adult smokers quit the deadly habit by switching to vaping, which has been found by major medical groups and governments to be 95% safer than combustible cigarettes.

Please see this additional statement, VTA Calls for End to Public Health Hysteria, issued by national partner, Vapor Technology Association, urging public health officials to identify the cause of these incidents before assigning blame and reminding the public never to alter a vapor device designed for vaping nicotine-containing products by attempting to vape anything other than an e-liquid designed to be used with that device.

TSFA 2018 Legislative Conference – December 1

 

The Tennessee Smoke Free Association is holding our 2018 annual pre-legislative conference on Saturday, December 1st. The conference is open to all Tennessee vapor industry. We encourage you to attend!

We are on the verge of creating a Political Action Committee for legislative influence and we will be discussing in depth the licensing bill for independent vapor shops in the state – ATTENDANCE IS IMPORTANT.

Agenda Includes:

• PAC formation
• Vapor retailer state licensing
• Budget Update
• Lobby update and upcoming session
• PR Update and upcoming projects
• Election Results
• Featured speakers Erika Vick (Bass, Berry, & Sims PLC) and Megan Crips (Crisp Communications)
• Guest speaker James Jarvis with OHVTA
• Guest speakers Tony Abboud and Jake Butcher with Vapor Technology Association (VTA)

Coffee and light pastries will be served in the morning, along with a light lunch at noon.

Important: For security reasons, the Pinnacle Building will not allow anyone in that is not on the RSVP list.  Please be sure to RSVP, including the names of each person attending with you, via email to [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you there. For questions and information, you may contact 423-903-2023.

Facebook Event information can be found here.

Saturday, December 1st at 10:0o am
Pinnacle Building – Bass, Berry & Sims
Founders Room
150 Third Ave South, Suite 2800
Nashville, TN

TSFA on Capitol Hill at the 3rd Annual VTA Conference

Vapor Technology Association (VTA) held their third annual Vape & the FDA conference on June 26-27. After a welcome message from Executive Director, Tony Abboud, Congressman Ryan Costello (R-PA) kicked off the day’s presentations with his keynote address. VTA continues to feed owners, manufacturers, and distributors a wealth of needed information from professional experts in the industry. After a very long conference, guests were treated to a networking reception in the Lincoln Library at Trump International Hotel.

 

 

The following day, eleven groups representing 27  different states commenced the journey to Capitol Hill to speak to state representatives. Once again, Nicole Crumley and myself had the privilege of representing TSFA, the largest delegation present, alongside several Tennessee business owners. Admittedly, I was ever so apprehensive when I learned that our fearless Dimitris Agrafiotis would be absent for the occasion for the very first time. However, I quickly remembered that nobody in our group is new to presenting the challenges facing our industry, and I immediately had the confidence of Peyton Manning on a Sunday that we would deliver our message with the same smoothness as our Dimi (sans finesse and slightly less hair gel).

 

Like a well-oiled machine and without missing a beat, we moved from office to office conveying our key points to staffers. Our top objectives to get across included:

• Request for FDA Commissioner Gottlieb to immediately institute a process that will allow manufacturers in the vapor industry to incorporate innovations in safety and quality without the burdensome PMTA process. Other manufacturers globally are advancing in battery safety technology that cannot be adopted in the US due to stifling regulation.
• CDC’s National Youth Tobacco Survey results that demonstrated that teen use of e-cigarettes continues to dramatically decline since 2015, despite the reports from media treating it as an epidemic.
• The recent statement by American Cancer Society (ACS) that finally recognized that vapor products are a safer and preferred alternative to combustible cigarettes.
• VTA has developed and adopted comprehensive Marketing Standards to Members to ensure that vapor products are kept away from youth.
• How a ban on flavors would decimate the industry.

The lack of push-back or negativity from the staffers was refreshing, which tells me they’ve been listening in the past to our efforts of defending the industry, educating our representatives consistently, and addressing any concerns. Every office we visited seemed very receptive to the information we provided to them.

12,000 “Phil Harrell” steps and a quick 30-minute Capitol tour later, our group was confident our voice was heard, and the day was deemed an overall success.

Although we state it over and over, we can’t say it enough. The owners who are a part of TSFA continue to inspire us along the way and we are more than proud of the work that they do, their dedication, and their passion for advocacy. There is no way we could do this without them and we are honored to walk among them in their mission. A special thank you to the following for taking time away from their homes and businesses and investing in the trip to the Hill.

Dave & Joe Nelson – Rocky Top Vapor
Glenn Cate – Vintage Vapor
Steve & Brandy Nair – Mountain Oak Vapors
Phil Harrell – The Vape Shop
Glenn & Karen Morin – West Tennessee Vapors
Destiny Hatton – Vapor Bane
Chris & Sara Kennedy (VTA Conference) – Vape Street Lounge

Tiffany Everett
President
Tennessee Smoke Free Association

TSFA in Health & Wellness Nashville

 

Vaping is One Way to Help More Smokers Quit

Thanks to Dr. Robert Cranfield for his continued work and support of the TN industry and community.

Tennessee Clear of Bills Affecting Vapor Industry

Once again for 2018, TN is clear of all bills that would be affecting the vapor industry and consumers.

SB1850/HB1867 Indoor Vaping Ban : DEAD for 2018
SB1636/HB1706 Increase Age to 19 : DEAD for 2018

Modified Tobacco Product Tax bill (introduced by PMI for those that care) : DEAD for 2018

I want to thank our lobby for the excellent ground work, our board of volunteers, and our professional vape shop/manufacturer members for their hard work before the bills were introduced. Their drive really made a difference this year in keeping our state once again free of frivolous regulations protecting special interests and they really deserve credit for their financial commitment and participation.

For a list of those that take the industry seriously please visit https://tnsmokefree.org/members/

If you are not a member of the Tennessee Smoke Free Association we would love to have you on board sharing the costs to operate and protect the industry.

If your favorite TN vape shop is not a member, ask them why.

Next year we will be bringing our own legislation providing vape shops a license to operate and separating us from tobacco/head shops.

Dimitris Agrafiotis
Executive Director

 

2017 TSFA & VTA Conferences Wrap-up

TSFA in Nashville

On November 11, 2017, TSFA hosted the 2017 annual pre-Legislative Conference in Nashville. All vapor industry was invited to attend. We had a very successful turnout of our members and special guests. Victory Vapor North joined the association, and a few other Tennessee shops came on board over the following month. In addition to announcing restructuring of the board, we reviewed our successes with defeating bills over the past year. The year in review was wrapped up as we moved on to the present, challenges we still face, and our plan of action moving forward. Overall, it was a productive and successful event.

 

 

 

Path to Chicago

On December 7, 2017, the two of us headed to the VTA Vapor Game Plan Conference in Chicago to represent TSFA. VTA members, guests, and Association representatives from all over the country were in attendance. We listened to many well-informed speakers who provided a wealth of information to take back to our members. While it is impossible to summarize so much material, here were some of our biggest take-aways from the conference.

• In 2017, VTA, along with its members, tracked 300 vapor bills. Defeated multiple bills in 10 different states.
• Amy Lane shared how she developed a strategy to bring access back to Indiana. Amy helped form Indiana Smoke Free Association (ISFA), hired a lobbyist (who was in attendance as well), and was involved in every strategic plan decision/negotiation along the way. Her strides in Indiana and what she was able to accomplish was astounding! Amy also shared ideas on how to build a strong state association and how to keep the line of communication open with members. We even walked away with a couple of her ideas
• Challenges we face in 2018
• Taxation across the states and the argument that vapor products should not be taxed the same as combustible cigarettes (beyond the sales tax level).
• The ever-present teen vaping gateway argument and data that most teens do not use nicotine, resulting in zero addiction. Teen smoking rates continue to fall.
• The role of flavors. Perceptions in labeling.
• Vaping is an EXIT gateway for smokers – what a powerful statement!
• Vapenomics – Sam Salaymeh, President & CEO of AMV Holdings, North America gave an outstanding and eye-opening presentation in regards to improving the industry and the image to gain more support from legislators.
• Legislation starts at the local level.
• The need for strong state or regional associations across the board.

In seriousness, Fig introduced his concept of Vape Tithing and how Gonzo Vapors is carrying out that concept. He also touched on the states helping one another. If one is facing challenges with local legislation or financing, others step in to help. It’s also past time that we start doing business with companies who invest and are active in advocacy.

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention Executive Director Tony Abboud’s heartfelt words regarding how far VTA has come in only a year, and how TSFA believed in the vision in the beginning and jumped on board. There were a handful of supporting companies on last year’s member list. These two slides tell the story of where we are today.

Finally, Tony’s words about TSFA being pioneers in state advocacy were echoed across the room several times throughout the day and how we helped pave the road for several other states. It was a day where we were not only proud to be a vapers and advocates, but proud to be part of a thriving association thanks to the support of all our TSFA members.

Tiffany Everett, President
Nicole Crumley, Treasurer

 

 

 

TSFA Hires Crisp Communications

As of today, November 20, 2017, the Tennessee Smoke Free Association has hired a full-time public relations firm. Crisp Communications, LLC out of Nashville will be representing our association and the vaping industry in a positive light across the Tennessee Valley. We want to sincerely thank the vendors and the membership for making this financially possible.