Last Tuesday the Denver voting bloc Voted to increase their taxes, and ironically enough end the sale of flavored tobacco products in a city that allows the sale of mushrooms and marijuana. What is the actual effect that this will have, and what was the stated purpose of the law. The people pushing the law claim the flavor tobacco products make it appealing to children. Colorado already increased the age of legal tobacco purchase to 21 years old. This is restricting what adults can buy. But, effectively is it really? The ban is only in Denver city and county. Meaning Denver residents can simply go to one of the surrounding counties outside of Denver County to purchase their flavored tobacco, or purchase it online and have it delivered to their door.
what is the effect?
Meet Rusty’s Vape and Smokeshop, a family business owned and operated for 14 years in Denver. I spoke with the owner of the shop after the ban took effect. Now some vape shops only have vapes and the like, as you can imagine, those closed their doors and will either be forced to relocate or close up shop for good. Rusty’s is lucky, they still have plenty of pipes and t-shirts and smoking accessories to help them get by, but for how long is up in the air. Over 50 percent of their sales were due to the flavored juices and disposable or non disposable devices being sold. The owner was extremely kind. I asked what She wanted to say to the voters and the legislature, here is a direct quote. ‘It’s a violation of adult freedom of choice, and Its a poor decision financially for the city. Considering the 13 million dollars of tax revenue that we generate annually, that we contribute to the city for things like universal PreK, and tobacco harm reduction and cessation programs.” 13 million dollars of tax revenue is potentially leaving Denver, and going to surrounding communities or leaving the state altogether all because someone didn’t like the smell of a vape in a building, I’m nearly sure of it.
Who can you thank for this night mare?
You can thank (ironically or seriously, depending on your politics):
- Kaiser Permanente
- University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine
- African Leadership Group
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Colorado Chapter
- American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
- American Heart Association
- American Lung Association
- Children’s Hospital Colorado
- Clayton Early Learning
- Colorado Cancer Coalition
- Colorado Dental Association
- Colorado Medical Society
- Healthier Colorado
- NAACP Colorado Montana Wyoming State-Area Conference
- NAACP Denver
- Progress Now Colorado
- Servicios de la Raza
- Anna Blue-city. (yes this is a joke, but the rest are factual)
It is clear that democrats want overpriced government subsidized healthcare because they want the illegal aliens to have more babies on soil than natural born Americans. Look at the organizations that backed this bill. Mostly medical affiliates, which is understandable considering the healthiest thing to breathe is air. But, the flavor ban does not align with American tradition, nor does it align with the rest of Denver’s drug policy. It doesn’t even align with better health in Denver because many users will still get it elsewhere and the money Denver had coming in to promote tobacco harm reduction and cessation is nearly gone. Its unclear where they will get the money to continue those programs if every Denver resident decided to order their products from a different state with lower tobacco taxes.
So Denver did something wrong, so did I, now were even. JK, I didn’t do shit, yet. This is only the beginning in a long story of telling them we want them to leave. These progressive policies kill anywhere they go. They are not sustainable. The woke mob must be utterly crushed, or it would be more noble to fall on your own sword and die. Even the libertarian party is calling for the death of ice agents in Colorado. Makes me wonder if they are also dealing cocaine…. jk, turf war! jk.