2021 is about to come to an end. Although nobody expected 2021 to be a smooth year, it’s been an extremely difficult year for those who smoke. Here’s a list of the most significant events that occurred this year.
In the first week of the year, the last day for PMTA submissions was recently over and was fresh in everyone’s mind. However, the FDA did not announce anything about the PMTA for the majority of the entire year.
In the meantime, awaiting the outcome of the PMTA, Other legislation was adopted, including it was the USPS postal ban. The USPS was no longer able to send mail that contained vape-related products. Private companies could still be allowed to deliver vape. However, they had to submit documents regarding the delivery of packages. There was enough paperwork that the larger shipping companies, like FedEx, chose not to provide vape products. Then, smaller, focused vape delivery companies emerged, and online delivery continued to exist, but at a higher cost.
And, at the time that it was still Black Lives Matter, tensions of last year were in the air. Then, a controversial move taken by Maryland Police put vaping back in the news. The news was that a bunch of Black teenagers were subjected to violent police action over vaping across the Maryland Boardwalk. This incident is a stark example of how more stringent laws regarding vaping can end up harming those who the rules were intended to protect.
Then, eventually, the FDA met their set deadlines regarding PMTA. Finally, the FDA reached its deadlines for PMTA and began making MDOs. The vaping businesses that were in operation either shut down or made the switch to smoking tobacco and went to court.
The year 2022 appears to be another year of excitement. A lot of legal cases involving the MDOs are yet to conclude. However, the Omicron variant is beginning to increase the amount of COVID cases to the top. Although there is a chance that the Build Back Better Act is likely to be passed, the risk of the possibility of a large vape tax at the federal level is still there.
In the meantime, have fun during the holiday season, and remember to stay secure!
