Because we appreciate thoughtful discourse, this one gets a thread :)

(Also the thread format is easier to deal with than posting individual replies.)

Why CASAA is opposed to S.1253/HR.3942
https://www.votervoice.net/CASAA/campaigns/69439/respond https://twitter.com/IrishVaping/status/1194973312931319808

To answer your first question, @IrishVaping, online retailers have the choice *now* to use a signature-on-delivery service. This legislation *compels* them to do so which automatically raises the cost of shipping to consumers by $15-$20 per order.

Moreover, the industry standard *should be* (I hate to say *should*) that online sellers use a 3rd party verification platform that validates a customer's age and address. This has been an option for years and in several states it is already the law.

Age verification at the "point of sale" certainly means an increased cost to consumers, but it is negligible compared to the shipping costs associated with sig. on delivery.

Access is the big one here:
1) This requirement will NOT do anything to prevent young people from purchasing nicotine or other products from social sources and illegal sellers on social media ( https://twitter.com/search?q=%23DankVapes&src=typed_query&f=live).
cc: @SenFeinstein

Access cont'd:
2) We need to acknowledge that many people don't live near a brick&mortar vape shop. For these folks, online retailers may be their only option for products that will work for them. In 2013, in North Jersey, this was my best option.

Meanwhile . . .

. . . combustible tobacco products remain the most visible and accessible tobacco product as they are sold at nearly all gas stations, C-stores, etc.

That being the case, arguably, S.1253 protects sales of cigarettes.

While many people want to believe that brick&mortar retailers have a spotless record, vape shops, smoke shops, c-stores, and "pharmacies" collectively have thousands of violations. S.1253 does nothing to require stricter age verification protocols for these retailers.

Arguably, online age verification is more thorough than face-to-face because the system can operate w/out pressure from waiting customers. It is not fool-proof, but it is also not prone to human error ... unlike human cashiers.

Ultimately, bills like S.1253/HR.3942 only serve to promote the narrative that vapor and other smoke-free nicotine products are just as harmful as combustible tobacco while, at the same time, punishing people who are choosing to improve their lives.

At the end of the day, @SenFeinstein's bill will only make it more difficult and expensive for legal-age consumers to access safer alternatives to smoking. Illegal sellers and their under-age customers will hardly notice a difference.