The impact of recent tobacco regulations and COVID-19 restrictions and implications for future e-cigarette retail: perspectives from vape and vape-and-smoke shop merchants

The impact of recent tobacco regulations and COVID-19 restrictions and implications for future e-cigarette retail: perspectives from vape and vape-and-smoke shop merchants

Vape retailers in six U.S. cities expressed concern about the impact of regulations, their perceived insufficiency of evidence behind them, and the challenges of explaining them to customers, according to a new paper co-authored by Lisa Henriksen, Nina Schleicher, and Trent Johnson. Researchers surveyed 60 owners or managers of vape of vape-and-smoke shops in Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, San Diego, and Seattle. They found that most used social media for promotion, offered curbside pickup and sold CBD; many also sold other tobacco products. Continued surveillance of retail stores, consumer behavior, and compliance with regulations is needed as nicotine and cannabis policies evolve, the authors said. Read the paper.