As the Denver City Council considers a ban on flavored tobacco and nicotine products, I’m sharing my story as an immigrant and small business owner. When I came to America from Nepal, I worked hard to save money and build a successful business. I chose to come here for the promise of freedom and the opportunity to grow a business with hard work, quality goods and responsible practices as member of the local community.  My story is like the 50 small vape store owners in Denver who are from Ethiopia, Jordan and other diverse communities of color.

To understand how flavor bans damage communities, look at my stores in Golden to see what awaits if Denver follows a similar path.

Having already lost one store to the ban, with another likely to follow as the misguided policy’s effect emerges, I speak from experience: bans don’t work. They remove a proven adult cigarette cessation tool from the market, and have destroyed my family’s livelihood.

Here’s what the Denver City Council should know happens when a city enacts flavor bans.

First, bans do more to undermine youth access prevention than promote it. Responsible retailers are incentivized to sell nicotine products to legal-aged adults only. When these products are removed from regulated store shelves, bad actors willing to sell them on the underground market — without identification checks — fill demand.

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Strong enforcement policies and compliance programs have helped reduce youth tobacco use to its lowest levels ever, and e-cigarette use is at its lowest in a decade. Furthermore, studies, such as the Yale University School of Public Health, clearly demonstrate municipal bans (such as in San Francisco) on flavored e-cigarettes lead to a 30% increase in cigarette use among young people, contrary to health objectives.

Second, prohibitionist policies harm small businesses and local tax bases by sending sales across city and state lines. One of my stores in Golden was on the border of Jefferson County, where there’s no ban. So, only 50 feet away from my store someone can buy products they can’t get at my establishment. That makes no sense.

The Golden City Council acknowledged how damaging this ban was for small businesses and created a $100,000 relief fund, where companies can apply for up to $10,000 in aid per store owner. Though well-intentioned, it’s not enough to mitigate the massive losses — in some cases 80% or more — our businesses are taking. That’s why our stores are closing fast.

These bans also hurt sales of other goods customers purchase at my store. Including gasoline, my sales are down 90% as customers now shop at other stores.

Finally, many adults use smoke-free products, including e-cigarettes and nicotine products, as helpful and better alternatives to cigarettes. Removing flavors from the market eliminates a tool many adults use to quit smoking and stay alive.

Denver should protect kids, and the city council can enact effective solutions to do so.

A special flavored tobacco permit could give the city authority to ban bad actors without destroying law-abiding businesses. Like Denver’s bars and restaurants, the city should provide a badge and license that requires training on prevention of youth access. The city also has repeatedly failed to recognize the role adults play in securing tobacco and nicotine products for kids. Currently, the fine is just up to $250. The city should increase fines on adults.

We also should consider strict licensing requirements, marketing and advertisement bans, larger distance restrictions to schools, mandatory ID checks, strict enforcement practices, multiple inspections, track-and-trace technology and stiff fines or license revocation for stores that sell vaping products to minors.

Though it may be too late for my business and others in Golden, city council members in Denver can foresee the severe local consequences of these bans. Denver should avoid the mistakes of Golden and reconsider this misguided proposal.

Let’s work together to reduce youth vaping without draconian prohibition and bans so responsible owners like me can keep our stores open.

Kel Karki immigrated to Colorado approximately a decade ago from Nepal, worked as a janitor to save enough money to open convenience, gas and vape shops. He lost his Golden business in 2024 following a citywide ban on flavored nicotine and tobacco products.