Waste Watch: Costly regulations for vaping could drive smokers back to cigarettes - KUTV 2News

(Cropped Photo: Lindsay Fox / CC BY 2.0)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) -- The prospect of new federal regulations that could drive people who vape back to smoking old fashioned cigarettes.
The vaping industry is bracing for what it's calling over-regulation.

And new government guidelines could be costly.

You could call it another example of the government getting its hands in your pocket.

This time they're targeting "vapers" and those in the vaping business with regulations costing in the millions.

Americans for Prosperity has spoken out against this move by the federal government, saying it'll take thousands of hours for small businesses to file these applications and will cost more than a third of a million dollars per product.

AFP spokesperson Tori Venable says, "What it's going to cost for the small businesses to even stay in the market is ridiculous."

It's expected that if these regulations go into effect, about 99 percent of the products on the market right now will be taken off.

Those that remain may only survive with a dramatic price hike.In a survey by e-cigarette brand V2, about half of those who vape now said they may vape less and turn back to smoking if the prices go up.This means healthcare costs could continue to skyrocket. The American Cancer Society reports between 2000 and 2012, tobacco-related healthcare hit $133 billion.