Wouldn’t it be nice to know as a vaper whether the city you live in is favorable to vaping? You might even decide where to move if you don’t want to face discrimination for your lifesaving choices.
Well, Vapescore.org analyzed 52 of the largest and most populous cities across the United States, grading them based on the taxation and regulation of vaping products. So now we know where in the United States local governments are harming or helping vapers’ lives. Each of these cities was graded on a scale of 95, with considerations including environmental prohibitions, excise taxes, licensing and overall harm reduction climate.
Last month we analyzed the 7 most vape-friendly cities. Now for the LEAST vape-friendly cities.
These are the 13 most unfriendly cities to be a vaper:
- Minneapolis, Minnesota – F. Minneapolis received a score of 32, losing 25 points for environmental prohibitions, losing 22 points for excise taxes, losing 6 for licensing and losing 10 points for overall harm reduction climate.
- Boston, Massachusetts – F. Boston received a score of 55, losing 25 points on environmental prohibitions, losing 6 points for licensing burdens, and losing 9 points for overall harm reduction climate.
- Chicago, Illinois – F. Chicago received a score of 56, losing 19 points on environmental prohibitions, losing 18 points on excise taxes, losing 1 point on licensing, and losing 1 point for overall harm reduction climate.
- San Jose, California – F. San Jose received a score of 57, losing 25 points for environmental prohibitions, losing 6 points for licensing and losing 7 points for overall harm reduction climate.
- San Francisco, California – F. San Francisco received a score of 57, losing 25 points for environmental prohibitions, losing 6 points for licensing and losing 7 points for overall harm reduction climate.
- Oakland, California – F. Oakland received a score of 57, losing 25 points on environmental prohibitions, losing 6 points on licensing and losing 7 points for overall harm reduction climate.
- Sacramento, California – F. Sacramento received a score of 57, losing 25 points for environmental prohibitions, losing 6 points for licensing and losing 7 points for overall harm reduction climate.
- Fresno, California – F. Fresno received a score of 57, losing 25 points for environmental prohibitions, losing 6 points for licensing, and losing 7 points for overall harm reduction climate.
- Long Beach, California – F. Long Beach received a score of 57, losing 25 points for environmental prohibitions, losing 6 points for licensing and losing 7 points for overall harm reduction climate.
- Los Angeles, California – F. Los Angeles received a score of 57, losing 25 points on environmental prohibitions, losing 6 points for licensing and losing 7 points for overall harm reduction climate.
- San, Diego, California – F. San Diego received a score of 57, losing 25 points for environmental prohibitions, losing 6 points for licensing and losing 7 points for overall harm reduction climate.
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – F. Philadelphia received a score of 57, losing 18 points for environmental prohibitions, losing 14 points for excise taxes and losing 6 points for licensing.
- Seattle, Washington – F. Seattle received a score of 57, losing 25 points for environmental prohibitions, losing 6 points for licensing and losing 7 points for overall harm reduction climate.
It is no surprise that cities in tax- and regulation-happy California are hostile to vaping. But it turns out that the absolute worst city to live in if you’re a vaper is Minneapolis, Minnesota. The City of Lakes has the most crippling anti-vaping policies in the country. Of course, California’s big cities are right up there among the worst, as well as dark blue Seattle, Boston and Philadelphia.
Other vape-hostile cities that received scores only slightly higher include Washington D.C, Indianapolis, El Paso, New York and Portland. They all received scores of a D- to a D+. The big surprise on that list is El Paso, which is in Texas, one of the states with the most vape-friendly cities in the U.S.