Stores that sell cigarettes and e-cigarettes must also sell nicotine medicines. This was recently decided by the council of the US state of New Jersey. According to the media channel Vaping360, vejp shoppers risk fines if they do not have nicotine gum or nicotine patches on their shelves.
For more than a year now, non-tobacco flavoured e-cigarettes have been banned in the state of New Jersey. The ban has led to many shops closing down or changing their focus. The few remaining vejp shops will soon be subject to new rules. The state recently decided that all shops selling either cigarettes or e-cigarettes must also provide nicotine medicines.
Risking fines
The decision means that all vejp shops in the state must also display information about different nicotine medications, and refer customers to a local stop smoking service. Stores that only sell cigars are exempt, reports Vaping360.
As part of the compulsion, the authorities also require shops to keep a stock of products such as nicotine gum or similar. If the stock sells out, owners must replenish it within 14 days or risk a fine of the equivalent of €2,500.
E-cigarettes more effective
According to several randomised studies e-cigarettes twice as effective in smoking cessation compared to traditional nicotine medicines. Even outside clinical settings, statistical studies show that smokers who use e-cigarettes daily, quit smoking at a much higher rate than those who do not use e-cigarettes. In the UK, the the proportion of smokers using nicotine medicines to quit smoking has halved since e-cigarettes became popular.
"There are no studies showing that nicotine medicines would be effective in quitting vejpa. However, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that a large proportion of customers in vejp shops have already tried nicotine medicines to quit smoking, without success. This was before they discovered vejpning" writes Jim MacDonald in Vaping360.
Competing products
Nicotine medicines are considered by many entrepreneurs to be a competing product on the market. They can be sold over the counter but are exempt from advertising bans and are classified as medicines. One Swedish retailer selling nicotine medicines is Cigge.se. However, sales are poor and are likely to be discontinued, says Victor Bryn-Jensen, HR manager at Cigge.
"We still have it to a certain extent. They don't sell much. The Medical Products Agency is not fun to deal with. They want reports on exact sales every month, even if we haven't sold a single packet. It's quite time-consuming and not worth it," he says.
"Sounds absurd"
Viktor Bryn-Jensenwho is also President of the Electronic Cigarette Association, finds the reasoning of the New Jersey politicians strange.
"Nicotine medicines are one of the options for smokers who want to quit, of course. Just like e-cigarettes or snus. We thought it was a good product to offer to customers. But forcing the shops? It's like forcing a vejp shop to sell cigarettes, just because they sell e-cigarettes. It sounds absurd." he tells Vejpkollen.
