Indiana Is About to Hand the Vapor Market to Big Tobacco
The Indiana Senate is preparing to vote on SB 185 — a bill that would effectively ban almost all vapor products in the state.
Let’s be clear about what this means.
This isn’t just another regulatory tweak.
This isn’t a minor compliance adjustment.
SB 185 would wipe out the vast majority of independent vapor products currently sold in Indiana.
And once again, the biggest winners won’t be public health.
They’ll be the largest tobacco companies in America.
What SB 185 Really Does
SB 185 would restrict legal sales to products that meet narrow federal authorization criteria under the FDA’s deeply flawed PMTA process.
On paper, it sounds like enforcement.
In reality, it’s market consolidation.
Most independent vapor manufacturers filed PMTAs in good faith. They followed the rules. They spent millions. They waited years for answers.
Many never received clear decisions.
Many were denied based on shifting standards.
Many are still stuck in regulatory limbo.
Now, Indiana lawmakers are poised to use that federal bottleneck as justification to eliminate nearly all remaining independent vapor products from shelves.
The outcome?
Small businesses close.
Jobs disappear.
Consumers lose access to the products that helped them quit smoking.
Who Survives SB 185?
Not the local vape shop owner who helped hundreds of smokers quit.
Not the small manufacturer who built a brand from scratch.
Not the distributor who invested in inventory to serve Indiana retailers.
The companies best positioned to survive are those with:
- Massive regulatory departments
- Billion-dollar legal teams
- Deep political influence
- The ability to withstand years of FDA delay
In other words — the largest tobacco corporations.
This is how Big Tobacco regains control of the reduced-risk market.
Not by out-innovating small businesses.
By outlasting them.
The Human Cost
Behind every “non-compliant product” label is a real person.
A shop owner who built a community.
An employee supporting a family.
A former smoker who found something that finally worked.
For years, independent vapor businesses have been on the front lines of harm reduction. They weren’t backed by global corporations. They were backed by personal experience.
They believed in helping people quit smoking.
And it worked.
Now, legislation like SB 185 threatens to erase that entire ecosystem in one vote.
This Is Happening Fast
The Indiana Senate vote is imminent.
There is no time for complacency.
There is no room for silence.
If you care about small businesses, consumer choice, and keeping Big Tobacco from monopolizing the vape market in Indiana, you must act immediately.
🚨 ACT NOW 🚨
The Indiana Senate is about to vote to ban almost all vapes.
We NEED YOU to send this message to protect vapes in Indiana TODAY.
Please take one minute to fill out the VTA Call to Action
Save Indiana small businesses.
Protect adult access to flavored vapor products.
Stop Big Tobacco’s takeover of our state.
👉 Fill out the VTA Call to Action here.
The future of Indiana’s independent vapor industry may be decided in the next vote.
Make sure your voice is heard before it’s too late.
Flavored Vapor Products are Not Available for purchase in the state of California
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