Commentary: Vaping Saved My Life – Vapor Directory Bills Put My Progress at Risk
"That is why I find House Bill 1069 & Senate Bill 550 from the 2024 session to be harmful to former cigarette smokers who rely on these products to quit smoking"
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Commentary: Vaping Saved My Life – Vapor Directory Bills Put My Progress at Risk
by Robert Derr
Throughout my life, I have earned many titles, some I am prouder of than others – Twenty-year Navy Veteran, Father of Three, and at age 13, began my ‘title’ as an eventual Thirty-year-smoker.
I am thankful to always be a Navy Vet and a father, but thanks to vape products, I no longer carry the title of cigarette smoker. That is why I find House Bill 1069 & Senate Bill 550 from the 2024 session to be harmful to former cigarette smokers who rely on these products to quit smoking and improve their health. While the bill’s intentions may be rooted in public health and safety, its potential consequences could hurt those who are trying to make healthier choices. Thankfully, these bills have not gone into effect yet, but come July 1st, they will become law if lawmakers don’t act first.
Furthermore, courts have already ruled against this issue, making similar laws in other states invalid. Right now, The United States Supreme Court is actively considering a case that could invalidate Virginia’s law immediately prior to or just after it is scheduled to take effect. Why make consumers and business owners jump through hoops to comply with a law that the Supreme Court could very well strike down? Let’s allow for certainty before we act.
Therefore, I would ask the Virginia General Assembly to repeal these harmful pieces of legislation before it is too late.
For years, I struggled to quit smoking. Despite the cravings, difficulty breathing, consistent cough, and cottonmouth, I couldn’t break the cycle of reaching for a cigarette that had become ingrained in my routine. Over the years, I tried different patches and gums that claimed to help with withdrawals, but I always went back to cigarettes. When I first tried vaping, I was skeptical, but it worked. Gradually, I reduced my nicotine intake, and after months of dedication, I was able to quit smoking entirely. It was a turning point in my life - a sense of control I hadn’t felt in years and a healthier future that finally felt within reach.
My story is not unique, as thousands of others have come to rely on safe vape products to kick a habit that was slowly killing them. Recent legislation, however, threatens to undo all the progress that many of us have made in our efforts to quit smoking. By requiring manufacturers to prove FDA approval or submit extensive paperwork, it would limit access to a wide range of vapor products, especially those that are most effective in helping people quit smoking. Many smaller manufacturers may not have the resources to navigate the complicated and costly regulatory process, potentially driving up costs or removing their products from the market entirely. For many of us, finding a suitable alternative to cigarettes is a personal journey, and these bills would strip away options, making it harder for individuals to find the support they need in their efforts to quit smoking.
Maybe most troublesome, the current list of “approved” products is wholly inefficient to be anywhere close to filling the demand this legislation will place on these products.
Thankfully, people are quitting cigarettes in droves, and big tobacco is at its least profitable point ever. To address shareholder concerns, they are now trying to game the system by ridding the market of safer alternatives and placing themselves in a position of growing profits. We can’t stand idly by while this happens.
If certain products are no longer available, it will push people back toward smoking, undoing generations of progress in the fight against tobacco-related diseases.
If not fixed, this legislation will make it more difficult for those of us who are committed to quitting to find the tools that work best for us. Instead of helping us move forward, it risks pushing us back into a cycle of nicotine dependence.
While there are certainly concerns about youth usage, this legislation goes well past focusing on minors and turns its focus squarely on people like me who were desperate for the release tobacco addiction had on my life. Rather than making it harder for people like me to quit smoking; we should be focusing on promoting responsible use, educating the public about the benefits of vaping as a harm reduction tool, and ensuring that adult smokers have access to a variety of options that can help them stop smoking for good.
The government should not take away the products that have made a real difference in the lives of so many.
For those of us who have struggled with addiction, these bills represent a step backward. We need solutions that empower us to make healthier choices, not bureaucratic barriers that will only push us back toward the very habit we’re trying to leave behind. I urge lawmakers to reconsider this legislation and focus on solutions that support adults in their efforts to quit smoking, rather than placing unnecessary obstacles in their way.
Robert Derr is a resident of Portsmouth, Virginia, who served in the Navy for twenty years. Raised as the child of an Army Veteran, public service has always been a part of Derr’s life story. Derr is the father of three children.
