After Gov Ron DeSantis vetoed Senate Bill 810, the Florida Smoke Free Association sent a letter thanking the governor for this bold move that saved thousands of jobs and for “understanding the need of responsible adult ex-smokers to access effective alternatives to smoking.”
In the letter, FSFA President Robert Lovett praised Governor DeSantis for setting Florida apart from states like New York by “stand[ing] up for individual freedoms over government control, cultivat[ing] a business-friendly environment… and protect[ing]vu
The Florida Smoke Free Association declared that “Governor DeSantis just made the boldest tobacco harm reduction statement of any elected official in the history of our nation. Thank you for saving our jobs and our lives.”
The full letter can be found below or linked here.
Dear Governor Ron DeSantis,
The Florida Smoke Free Association, which represents more than 1,000 Florida small business vapor shops and the more than 1.5 million vaping adults in the state sincerely thank you for vetoing Senate Bill 810 (SB 810). Your veto action of SB 810 is a testament to your commitment to defending personal freedoms, small businesses, and limiting government overreach.
We sincerely appreciate your understanding the need of responsible adult ex-smokers to access effective alternatives to smoking. This dangerous legislation would have put more than 5,000 Floridians out of work and would have sent over a million back to deadly cigarettes or the black market. SB 810 would have cost Florida nearly $2 billion in economic activity. Now more than ever, we appreciate elected officials like you who defend personal freedom and support our small business community. We need this leadership now more than ever.
In May, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a ban on flavored nicotine. This excessive government regulation has become the norm in New York, but we are better than that and it shows. As New Yorkers flee the high tax state, Florida continues to stand up for individual freedoms over government control. Florida cultivates a business-friendly environment even when others do not. Florida protects vulnerable populations, like ex-smokers, even when others do not.
While some leaders engage in overregulation and are pressured to capitulate to those advocating for increasing government control, you have set Florida apart as an example of how we ought to govern our state. Because of your veto Florida remains the great Sunshine State.
Thank you, Governor DeSantis.
Sincerely,
Robert Lovett
President
Florida Smoke Free Association