Denver’s small business owners have faced many challenges.
Covid, crime, regulations, fees, and for many of them, a hostile city council.
The Denver City Council wants to ban flavored tobacco sales in the city.
This ban would affect 550 businesses, driving most of them out of Denver.
A ban means that vape and tobacco shops would be unable to legally sell flavored tobacco products to adults.
The ban is being sold as a way to protect kids, but sales to kids are already illegal.
Of course, some individuals would continue to sell these products in the city.
The black market would thrive, while family-owned stores would shutdown.
Kristen Hensel owns Rusty’s Vape and Smoke Shop, a family-owned business that would be forced out of business if the ban passes.
In this interview, Kristen talks about her business, and how politicians are attempting to force their agenda on the adults of Denver.
Not only are businesses under threat, but so is the idea of self-ownership and the rights of individuals to make their own choices.
Links from Video:
December 2024: Denver bans flavored tobacco products: https://www.denvergazette.com/2024/12/16/denver-bans-flavored-tobacco-products-80a5074c-bbe3-11ef-a439-abda3b3a0d0e/
February 2025: Ballot initiative efforts underway to overturn Denver’s flavored tobacco ban: https://www.denvergazette.com/2025/02/05/ballot-initiative-efforts-underway-to-overturn-denvers-flavored-tobacco-ban-88aa8544-e351-11ef-a801-9b9b5cc878dc/
September 2025: The fight over Denver’s flavored tobacco ban starts to heat up: https://denverite.com/2025/09/05/denver-flavored-tobacco-ban-fundraising/
Mary Szarmach: Unreasonable Colorado tobacco restrictions will encourage black market: https://www.timescall.com/2024/02/29/mary-szarmach-unreasonable-colorado-tobacco-restrictions-will-encourage-black-market/
Recent Comments