Fighting For The Right To Vape: 7onevape To Host Awareness Event About Anti-Tobacco Laws

One local e-cigarette shop is fighting back against state legislators and Big Tobacco.

With 13 proposed regulations on the table which could potentially wipe out the independent vaping industry, 7onevape – formerly called Bensonvape – is joining a citywide push by vaping startup owners to challenge the proposed bills. The harshest law, sponsored by Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, would prohibit the sale of any amount of e-liquid.

A large force behind the legislative push to regulate the vaping industry are big tobacco companies, which are finding themselves cornered out by trendy vaping startups across the country. Though tobacco companies have rolled out their own versions of the e-cigarettes, they have yet to catch up with vape shops offering more compact, cost-efficient, refillable vaporizers that can hold more liquid in a wider variety of flavors, the Wall Street Journal reported in August.

Small New York vaping companies – including 7onevape – hope to collectively raise $50,000 through an Indiegogo campaign to hire lobbyists who will fight for their interests.

“As a former smoker myself, I am not ready to go back to sucking on those harmful traditional cigarette analog after discovering vaping as a healthier alternative,” said Min Wu, co-owner of 7onevape. “If these bills are passed I myself and our loyal customers will not have access to the products we have grown to love, and our local vape shops will most likely be closed.”

A fairly young business,  7onevape (2081 86th Street) was opened several months ago by a group of ex-cigarette smokers who believe that vaporizers offer a healthier alternative, and the store immediately became popular with local vaping enthusiasts. Now that their business is at risk, Wu and her partners will be hosting a free event for the entire vaping community as a final push to raise awareness and money for the cause.

The festivities will begin on Saturday, March 28, and run from 4pm – 12am, at the store on 2081 86th Street.

There will be, free food and drink, a live DJ, and everyone will receive t-shirts emblazoned with the slogan #SAVEVAPINGNY. Every $12.99 spent or $5 donated will be worth one raffle ticket, and 15% of event day sales will be donated to the Indiegogo campaign. Hundreds of prizes, including e-liquid, hardware, and accessories, will be raffled off.

“As the date is coming closer, we want to have a final push to get the money together, because at the end of the day, it’s about working with the lobbyists. By working collectively, we would have more power and we would have a better say,” said Wu.