DENVER — With less than one month left until Election Day in Denver, contributions into the campaigns for and against the ban on flavored nicotine are heating up.
In September, Michael Bloomberg donated more than $1.5 million to the campaign Denver Kids vs. Big Tobacco in an effort to uphold the ban passed by Denver City Council back in 2024, and signed into law by Denver Mayor Mike Johnston shortly after.
On Wednesday, some Denver vape shop owners gathered to discuss the impacts the ban would have on their small businesses and overall livelihoods.
"We have five locations, but our main location is here in Denver, and it's our most important location," explained Phil Guerin, who owns Myxed Up Creations. "Myxed Up has been open for over three decades, and we've been on Colfax Avenue for over three decades. This store is extremely important to our business. This is our original location. This is where all the magic started. This is where it happens. We really depend on this as our headquarters as it's really the head of our business."
Guerin also started the No on 310 campaign months ago, an effort to repeal the ban on flavored nicotine products.
"It's a grassroots effort," he told Denver7. "We don't have Michael Bloomberg money. We don't have all this outside money coming in."
Guerin told Denver7 his campaign has raised more than $500,000, a smaller amount than that raised by the campaign to uphold the ban.
Kristen Hensel, who owns two Rusty's Vape Shop locations, one in Commerce City and the other in Denver, told Denver7 she's also concerned about what the ban would do to her longtime business.
"We are all businesses that carry adult products that are illegal for people under 21. It is already illegal for people under 21 to buy these nicotine products," she said. "This is a local issue here in Denver that is going to impact Denver businesses and Denver residents."
She also fears it will force many vape shops throughout Denver to either close or relocate. Adding to her concerns is what the ban could do to her staffing.
"I have 15 employees across both of my stores," she said. "I imagine half of them will have to be laid off."
Among her employees is Gisselle Esquivel, who has worked at the Denver location for years and uses a flavored vape product daily.
"I just thought about how it's going to affect all the neighborhood areas," Esquivel said. "A lot of people from my neighborhood come to Rusty's to get their vape products and for their wraps."
On the other side is those who support the ban on flavored nicotine products and hope it's upheld in November.
"I could share never-ending examples of my experience as a practicing physician, helping people overcome the addiction to tobacco and nicotine, but also helping them manage the severe health harms caused by tobacco and nicotine products," said Dr. Tracy Hofeditz, a local physician who supports the ban. "That is the main reason that we have to find ways to limit another generation from becoming addicted to tobacco and nicotine products — so that their health in the future will be much better."
Dr. Hofeditz told Denver7 that as a physician, he's passionate about helping young people overcome addiction, which is another reason for his support.
"Nicotine products are a source of dependence and addiction," he said. "They end up becoming needed by the person who is dependent or addicted, even though they may very much wish to stop them, and that's been one of my main jobs as a family physician and, (in) time, is to help people who want to stop using these products, but find it so very difficult."
Denver voters will have the final say on Nov. 4.
