LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Beginning today, new vape restrictions are in effect in the Bluegrass State. House Bill 11 passed on April 11 and aims to curb the use of vaping among youth in Kentucky, but now retailers across the commonwealth are only permitted to sell certain vape products.
Ali Mazab is trying to stay positive but admits that it's a struggle since House Bill 11 only allows the sale of FDA approved vape products.
"That's gonna really minimize my selection and we're still figuring that out," Mazab, Owner of Kings Vape & Tobacco said.
Mazab moved from Michigan about two years ago to open this shop. It was his dream and now he's having to remove about 80% of his inventory as a result of House Bill 11.
"Might as well just shut down the doors and go home after this," Mazab noted.
In the meantime, Mazab is forced to cut back on inventory selecting from a small list of vapes.
"There's only 34 that I've heard that we're FDA approved and as you've seen, I have a huge selection," Mazab added.
On a huge wall, Mazab's three top sellers are taking a major hit.
"I put 'em on these three shelves right here, and that's the one I'm taking off," Mazab noted.
One of his next steps is to find a new way to operate.
"This won't stop us. We're going to keep fighting," Mazab said.
Frustrated by his new reality, Ali is doing his best to remain in good spirits, working to get advice from three local distributors."
Notably, House Bill 11 requires that vapes sold in the commonwealth have approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or a Safe Harbor Certification.
A new study by the Freedom Center named Kentucky the country's seventh-largest teen vaping hot spot.
