Vape shops across Wisconsin are facing potential closures following the implementation of a new state law that bans the sale of all vaping products not pre-approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The law, which took full effect on September 1st, has left retailers with what one manager described as a "gaping hole" in their inventory.
Under the new rules (State Statute 995.15), shops are prohibited from selling any vape products that lack FDA authorization. This effectively limits legal sales to a handful of products, such as certain Juul and Vuse items, which are described by retailers as "the least popular offering on the market." In Milwaukee alone, 530 stores that sell vapes must now clear out their now-illegal inventory or face fines of $1,000 per day per item.
A lawsuit filed in federal court in June by "Wisconsinites for Alternatives to Smoking and Tobacco" sought to block the law, but a judge upheld it on September 5th. Tyler Hall, the group's president, has filed an appeal, warning that thousands of shops across the state could close. "It is a very grim future for vape shop owners in Wisconsin," Hall said.
