In October 2016, a coalition of pro-vaping organizations traveled across the country in a custom RV on what was called the Right to Vape Tour. Along the way, they stopped at vape shops, parks, and state capitals to discuss the coming destruction of consumer choice that would be caused by the FDA’s then-new Deeming Rule.
Now, six years later—with the FDA wreaking havoc on people who vape and smoke—a slightly different set of organizations is doing it again. This time it's called the We Vape We Vote ‘22 Tour, borrowing the slogan made popular during the 2019 battle to stop a flavor ban proposed by the Trump administration.
The tour coincides with the midterm elections, and is intended to “amplify the voices of vapers in the 2022 elections,” according to Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), the conservative Washington, D.C. group that is a sponsor of the tour. Events will include “rallies at vape shops, voter registration drives, discussions with lawmakers” and more, says ATR.
Other partners in the tour are U.S. vape trade group theAmerican Vapor Manufacturers Association (AVM), the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA), and the Iowa Vape Association. (Disclosure: I am a CASAA board member.)
“Events will be covered by local media and promoted on our social media accounts, sending a clear message to lawmakers in state and federal legislatures that vaping saves lives and America’s vapers vote accordingly,” says ATR.
The tour launches this Saturday, Oct. 8, in Arizona, which is home base for AVM President Amanda Wheeler, who owns Arizona-based Jvapes with husband Jourdan. The rally will be held at Jvapes' flagship location in Prescott Valley.
From there the tour heads to Colorado, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and then to the Washington, D.C. area before heading south along the East Coast for four more stops in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida.
You can see the whole schedule on the WeVapeWeVote.org website, along with links to reserve a spot at the rally near you. (The website is dot ORG, not dot com. There is a WVWV dot com site that is completely unaffiliated with these organizations and this tour.) There's also a dedicated Facebook page and Twitter account—both called Save Vape—that will have updates, news and photos from the tour.
Featured photo from 2019 White House rally courtesy Amelia Howard
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