VTA Insider April 2026: VTA Is Fighting Back – Here’s What You Need to Know

Published on April 8, 2026

Welcome back to VTA Insider – your trusted source for the latest developments shaping the vapor and nicotine industries.

From in-the-room insights in Washington, D.C. to real-time updates from the front lines in state legislatures, VTA Insider keeps you informed on the policies, threats, and victories that directly impact your business and consumers.

A Message From VTA’s Executive Director

VTA is leading the fight to defend the flavored nicotine vaping industry at the state and federal levels.

Every day, we work on your behalf – educating lawmakers with real data, challenging misguided policies, and defending the role of flavored vaping products in harm reduction.

This is a fight we cannot afford to lose.

Join us today and be a part of the effort to protect his industry.

VTA Discusses Flavor Guidance with FDA

What We’re Doing: Last month, VTA met with senior officials at the FDA and across the administration to share our views on the myriad problems with the proposed flavor guidance. We also discussed a more meaningful path forward to address the continued suppression of youth vaping while ensuring that fruit and sweet-flavored vapes remain available to adults.

Why It Matters: It’s clear that our industry and opinion matter to our allies at the FDA and that the agency is genuinely interested in solving the problem. We’re continuing our efforts to educate them on the harm reduction benefits of vaping, the rapidly declining youth rate, and the need for real reform to the broken PMTA process.

Download and Read the Proposed Guidance

What’s Next: VTA’s legal team will file a substantive comment outlining our concerns with the new flavor guidance. We encourage everyone who has a personal or professional investment in flavored vapes to do the same.

Take Action: Submit Your Comment

What We’re Doing: Across the country, the independent vaping industry’s only national coordinated state lobbying strategy is in full force.

By the numbers: Our more than 200-strong state lobbyist operation covering 35 states is actively engaged on more than 300 pieces of legislation, working with lawmakers, proposing amendments, and fighting back against policies that threaten to ban flavored vapes, dismantle small businesses, and limit adult access to harm reduction products.

Go Deeper: Below is a brief overview of some key state updates. But, to learn more about what we’re doing in your state, become a member of VTA today!

We’re winning: Florida, Indiana, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming have concluded their legislative sessions for the year – WITHOUT passing any industry-killing anti-vapor legislation.

New York: Our lobbying team is working hard to ensure that the industry-killing floor tax proposed by Governor Hochul does not remain in the budget. Thus far, we have been successful in ensuring that both the House and Senate have stripped this tax from their proposed budget, but keeping this issue out altogether will require additional coordination and discussion with the Governor’s Office and legislative leaders. VTA has worked with faith leaders to highlight the regressive nature of the proposed vapor tax, which would reduce state revenues and increase the already prevalent Black Market. The Buffalo delegation has stopped the floor tax and tax increases from being included in the single-chamber budgets.

Arizona: VTA’s team collaborated with Arizona Innovates to advocate for HB 4001. This bill includes licensing and enforcement, age verification, and youth marketing restrictions. Most importantly, this DOES NOT include PMTA registry mandates or tax increases. It has already passed the House and is advancing through the Senate with positive momentum.

Oklahoma: Our state lobbying team is working with the respective committee chairs and sponsors on HB 3881, the Vapor Products Regulation bill. This bill adopts VTA marketing and labeling standards and creates an attestation process for manufacturers to either certify the alternative nicotine product has a marketing granted order, or has applied for a PMTA, has a submission tracking number (STN), and is still pending or in the appeals process; and require that all products be manufactured, processed, blended, or filled in the U.S. by January 1, 2028.

Media Highlight: VTA Defends Virginians’ Freedom to Vape

What We’re Doing: Enforcement of the Virginia Vape Registry began on Wednesday, April 1st, 2026. VTA continues to actively engage with the Attorney General to address concerns regarding enforcement, excessive actions being taken by local authorities, and strategies that can protect youth while preserving adult access to flavored vapes. In addition, VTA’s Executive Director is speaking with Virginia media about the potential impacts of VA SB 620/HB 308 on small businesses across the Commonwealth.

What We’re Saying: In an interview with CBS Richmond, we voiced our concerns that this law will eliminate 99% of the flavored vaping products available to Virginians under the existing law, and our support for the permitting measures that will prevent underage sales. We also raised questions about the relevance of HB 308, given that the Commonwealth is in the throes of banning flavored vapes and the vast majority of vaping products.