During the coronavirus pandemic, many smoke shops throughout the country have remained open, despite calls to shut all non-essential businesses, reports AL.com.
Governors have issued stay-at-home orders that do not address vape or smoke shops. According to a review of 40 state stay-at-home orders issued last month, “there isn’t a single state order that has designated a vape shop as an essential business,” according to Boot Bullwinkle, spokesman with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
Even though vape shops are not considered “essential business,” they remain open in many cases, Bullwinkle said.
“For example, whereas some states require all non-essential businesses to close, some states allow non-essential businesses to stay open if they maintain social distancing rules, and some state orders specifically encourage non-essential businesses to adopt curbside delivery or other remote means to conduct their business,” he said.
