Tobacco taxes, flavor bans and vaping trends are all hot topics these days. If you’re an adult tobacco consumer, you can find your voice and stand up for your right to responsibly use your preferred products. Here are five quick tips for talking about tobacco.

Legislation is changing quickly which means that your rights are changing too. Learning how to talk about tobacco may take some practice and patience. Prepare yourself with the following points:

1. Tobacco bans harm local businesses. In 2016, cigarettes and other tobacco products comprised 36% of sales for convenience stores. When these local businesses lose revenue, people lose jobs. And when people lose jobs, they often have to rely on government aid, and that costs everyone.
2. Research shows that excessive tax hikes often result in smuggling problems.
3. No law protects tobacco rights at work, yet smokers may be forced to pay higher health insurance premiums or forego financial incentives. 
4. Tobacco tax increases are unstable ways for state governments to line their pockets.  They are short-lived, unreliable solutions at the expense of smokers.
5. A lot of people think that certain vape systems are more problematic then others; however, the government groups them all together. So laws meant to affect one type of system end up affecting all vape products no matter their history or standards.

We don’t all think alike, and that shouldn’t keep you from standing up for what you believe in or having a tough conversation. So, what do you do when someone challenges you about tobacco legislation? Stay calm and let them know that you and millions of others have a voice when it comes to the role legislation plays in your life. Stick to your values, and back them up with the facts and tips above.

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