OAK CREEK, Wis. — Over the past two weeks, Tajammul "TJ" Syed has watched customers walk into his Oak Creek vape shops, ask if he's closing, then leave empty-handed. Those customers are looking for vapes and products now banned in Wisconsin.
Previous Coverage| State vape law in effect leaves shop owners in limbo as they await lawsuit decision
"It definitely feels like we're back to square one," Syed said.
Syed owns Tobacco Xpress in Oak Creek and Cloud X Vape Shops in the area.
A Wisconsin law allows him to sell only nicotine vape products and devices that are FDA approved and appear on the Department of Revenue's approved list. Violating the law carries a $1,000 fine per day per item.
Since the law took effect, Syed has complied — leaving his shelves and sales bare.
"In terms of sales, you know, we're extremely low now, just we don't have no product to sell," Syed said.
Watch: Wisconsin vape shop fights to survive after state ban cuts sales
The impact has been devastating across his locations.
"Some locations between 70 and 80% of our sales. So it's pretty much everything," Syed said.
Syed is part of WiscoFAST, an industry group that filed a lawsuit challenging the ban. Earlier this month, a judge denied their injunction, meaning the shelves will remain empty. The group plans to file an appeal in a higher court.
The law was passed in 2023 to address, in part, a rise in youth vaping and to eliminate potentially dangerous products. It was a part of a comprehensive Department of Revenue enforcement package (Act 73). The act received bipartisan support.
This week, federal officials in the Department of Health and Human Services are increasing efforts to crack down on illegal vaping products.
According to HHS, 1.6 million American middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in 2024. The agency says using e-cigarettes can increase the risk of hypertension and cancer and can cause breathing difficulties.
Previous Coverage| Federal officials push against illegal vapes, citing health risks
However, Syed said a majority of his customers were adults who had successfully quit cigarettes with the help of vaping. Many of those customers, he said, are now planning to travel to Illinois, with very few opting for the remaining approved items.
"I understand there were hundreds of products out there, but, you know, maybe five or 10 could have been approved and be like, you know, what? You can sell these," said Syed.
Time is running out for many vape shops. Syed has been forced to reduce store hours and is worried about his employees.
"We had no choice but to reduce all the hours for the stores between four hours and three hours, depending on the location," Syed said.
He's not alone. Other businesses TMJ4 spoke with are in the same boat, with hours reduced and staffing cuts.
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Syed entered the vaping industry in 2012, viewing it as a way to help people quit smoking cigarettes. Now that the majority of his customer base has been eliminated, he might not be helping anyone soon.
"We have no choice. But if we are not able to do anything in terms of sales, we have to shut it down," Syed said.
For Syed, it's now a fight for his business's survival. He will plan to do his best to pivot interest to his remaining products.
This story was reported on-air by Mike Beiermeister and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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