3/23/09 | Senator seeks to halt sales of 'e-cigarettes'

[super.foxy]

Awesome guys! I signed the petition and wrote this letter to both the senitor proposing the ban and my senitors as well. posted

I had just read where a senator from New Jersey had recently proposed a ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes. I wanted to contact you and your offices to personally and ask you to vote against such a measure.

I personally had been addicted to cigarettes since before I was 18 and recognize the effects of first hand and second hand smoking to be quite harmful as I have had alot of health complications from my addiction. Since quitting smoking I have investigated electronic smoking as an alternative to "analog" (regular) cigarettes. There is very little research done in the area of the nicotine vapors produced by these devices, however, the science behind the process is very sound and although I do recognize that breathing anything that isn't air can be harmful, it is wrong to ban a safer alternative without research. This product is not given a fair trial of innocent until proven guilty.

The ingenuity to produce a health risk minimizing alternative to normal "vice" is a step in the right direction. If a medication to treat a disease has side effects and other risks, its important to develop other drugs to take its place. Likewise should be our recreational substances such as alcohol and tobacco. To develop an alcohol that cannot damage the liver would be an amazing break through. Not even overlook the small business that have sprouted up the past several years in the united states to sell such devices, and the possibility for American enhancement and development in that field. A ban on electronic cigarettes stifles the American spirit on many levels and is important then to fight against such a ban.

[strayling]

Has anyone had anything other than a stock reply to their letters yet?

[Treece]

Geez, I didn't even get a stock reply!

[Avid]

Geez, I didn't even get a stock reply!

Neither did I

[imeothanasis]

Dear Mr. Raptis:

Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about increasing the federal tax on tobacco products. I appreciate hearing from you on this issue.

As you may know, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) covers medical expenses for children whose families do not qualify for Medicaid and cannot afford private insurance. This important program is a proven success, covering 6.1 million children across the country each year and more than 125,000 in New Jersey. CHIP is paid for by a federal excise tax on tobacco products.

The “Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act” (P.L. 111-3) was signed into law on February 4, 2009. Please be assured that I will keep your concerns in mind should the Senate again consider legislation related to the sale of tobacco products.

Thank you again for writing.


Sincerely,


I wrote once and senatoe answer twice. This is the second respond from him and its different (if I remember well)

[Charlie_Russo]

Greetings….

Writing to ask if anyone in the San Francisco Bay Area would be interested in being interviewed for a short news video I am putting together on the topic of e-cigarettes and the pending legislation that they are facing.

I will be conducting interviews over the next week and I am open to hearing any and all testimony from e-cigarette users. I've already gotten some very articulate perspectives from some worthwhile sources and I would like to add to that with more first hand accounts regarding use of the products. Although this is a freelance project, I am speaking with some editors now for this to run as a 3-5 minute video piece on a relevant news website.

Please get in touch if you have any interest. I'm happy to set up a time and location that works well for all involved.

Thanks,

Charles Russo
charlierusso23 at gmail dot com
www charlierusso dot com