HB 1291
On February 7, 2014, the Maryland House of Representatives introduced HB 1291, which would include e-cigarette use within the definition of "smoking" for purposes of Maryland's Clean Indoor Air Act, effectively banning e-cigarette use wherever smoking is prohibited.
The bill has been referred to the House Standing Committee on Economic Matters, and a hearing has been set for Wednesday, March 5th, 2014 at 1PM in the House Office Building, 6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401. Of the 19 sponsors of this bill, 3 (Barkley, Glenn and Kramer, highlighted in yellow in the contact list below) are on the Economic Matters Committee.
Please take this opportunity to (1) email and call the members of the Committee to provide accurate information about e-cigarettes and your story about how the product has improved your life; and (2) plan on attending the March 5th, 2014 meeting to offer testimony. (Please also see the additional information regarding attending the hearing at the end of this Call to Action.)
What to say:
1. You are a Maryland resident and while you support banning sales of e-cigarettes to minors, you OPPOSE banning e-cigarette use where smoking is banned. (If you are responding to this Call to Action and are not a state resident, please mention any connection you have to the area, for example, you travel to Maryland on vacation or have friends/family in the area.)
2. Tell your story on how switching to an e-cigarette has changed your life.
3. Explain that:
4. Direct them to the CASAA.org website, as well as the CASAA Research Library, for more information.
Contact Information for the Members of the House Standing Committee on Economic Matters:
Comma delimited e-mail: dereck.davis@house.state.md.us, david.rudolph@house.state.md.us, charles.barkley@house.state.md.us, ben.barnes@house.state.md.us, aisha.braveboy@house.state.md.us, emmett.burns@house.state.md.us, galen.clagett@house.state.md.us, cheryl.glenn@house.state.md.us, jeannie.haddaway@house.state.md.us, tom.hucker@house.state.md.us, rick.impallaria@house.state.md.us, sally.jameson@house.state.md.us, benjamin.kramer@house.state.md.us, maryann.love@house.state.md.us, brian.mchale@house.state.md.us, warren.miller@house.state.md.us, joseph.minnick@house.state.md.us, keiffer.mitchell@house.state.md.us, john.olszewski@house.state.md.us, steve.schuh@house.state.md.us, kelly.schulz@house.state.md.us, donna.stifler@house.state.md.us, michael.vaughn@house.state.md.us
DERECK E. DAVIS, Chair
Democrat, District 25, Prince George's County
phone: (410) 841-3519, (301) 858-3519, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3519 (toll free)
e-mail: dereck.davis@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3558, (301) 858-3558
DAVID D. RUDOLPH, Vice Chair
Democrat, District 34B, Cecil County
phone: (410) 841-3444, (301) 858-3444, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3444 (toll free)
e-mail: david.rudolph@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3558, (301) 858-3558
CHARLES E. BARKLEY
Democrat, District 39, Montgomery County
phone: (410) 841-3001, (301) 858-3001, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3001 (toll free)
e-mail: charles.barkley@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3009, (301) 858-3009
BENJAMIN S. BARNES
Democrat, District 21, Anne Arundel & Prince George's Counties
phone: (410) 841-3046, (301) 858-3046, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3046 (toll free)
e-mail: ben.barnes@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3346, (301) 858-3346
AISHA N. BRAVEBOY
Democrat, District 25, Prince George's County
phone: (410) 841-3707, (301) 858-3707, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3707 (toll free)
e-mail: aisha.braveboy@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3850, (301) 858-3850
EMMETT C. BURNS, JR.
Democrat, District 10, Baltimore County
phone: (410) 841-3352, (301) 858-3352, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3352 (toll free)
e-mail: emmett.burns@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3132, (301) 858-313
GALEN R. CLAGETT
Democrat, District 3A, Frederick County
phone: (410) 841-3436, (301) 858-3436, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3436 (toll free)
e-mail: galen.clagett@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3412, (301) 858-3412
CHERYL D. GLENN
Democrat, District 45, Baltimore City
phone: (410) 841-3257, (301) 858-3257, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3257 (toll free)
e-mail: cheryl.glenn@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3019, (301) 858-3019
JEANNIE HADDAWAY-RICCIO
Republican, District 37B, Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot & Wicomico Counties
phone: (410) 841-3429, (301) 858-3429, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3429 (toll free)
e-mail: jeannie.haddaway@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3523, (301) 858-3523
TOM HUCKER
Democrat, District 20, Montgomery County
phone: (410) 841-3474, (301) 858-3474, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3474 (toll free)
e-mail: tom.hucker@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3065, (301) 858-3065
RICHARD K. IMPALLARIA
Republican, District 7, Baltimore & Harford Counties
phone: (410) 841-3289, (301) 858-3289, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3289 (toll free)
e-mail: rick.impallaria@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3598, (301) 858-3598
SALLY YOUNG JAMESON
Democrat, District 28, Charles County
phone: (410) 841-3337, (301) 858-3337, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3337 (toll free)
e-mail: sally.jameson@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3277, (301) 858-3277
BENJAMIN F. KRAMER
Democrat, District 19, Montgomery County
phone: (410) 841-3485, (301) 858-3485, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3485 (toll free)
e-mail: benjamin.kramer@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3875, (301) 858-3875
MARY ANN LOVE
Democrat, District 32, Anne Arundel County
phone: (410) 841-3511, (301) 858-3511, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3511 (toll free)
e-mail: maryann.love@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3235, (301) 858-3235
BRIAN K. McHALE
Democrat, District 46, Baltimore City
phone: (410) 841-3319, (301) 858-3319, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3319 (toll free)
e-mail: brian.mchale@house.state.md.us
WARREN E. MILLER
Republican, District 9A, Howard County
phone: (410) 841-3582, (301) 858-3582, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3582 (toll free)
e-mail: warren.miller@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3571, (301) 858-3571
JOSEPH J. (SONNY) MINNICK
Democrat, District 6, Baltimore County
phone: (410) 841-3332, (301) 858-3332, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3332 (toll free)
e-mail: joseph.minnick@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3177, (301) 858-3177
KEIFFER JACKSON MITCHELL, JR.
Democrat, District 44, Baltimore City
phone: (410) 841-3802, (301) 858-3802, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3802 (toll free)
e-mail: keiffer.mitchell@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3537, (301) 858-3537
JOHN A. OLSZEWSKI, JR.
Democrat, District 6, Baltimore County
phone: (410) 841-3458, (301) 858-3458, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3458 (toll free)
e-mail: john.olszewski@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3123; (301) 858-3123
STEVEN R. SCHUH
Republican, District 31, Anne Arundel County
phone: (410) 841-3206, (301) 858-3206, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3206 (toll free)
e-mail: steve.schuh@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3764, (301) 858-3764
KELLY M. SCHULZ
Republican, District 4A, Frederick County
phone: (410) 841-3080, (301) 858-3080, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3080 (toll free)
e-mail: kelly.schulz@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3028, (301) 858-3028
DONNA M. STIFLER
Republican, District 35A, Harford County
phone: (410) 841-3278, (301) 858-3278, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3278 (toll free)
e-mail: donna.stifler@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3190, (301) 858-3190
MICHAEL L. VAUGHN
Democrat, District 24, Prince George's County
phone: (410) 841-3691, (301) 858-3691, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3691 (toll free)
e-mail: michael.vaughn@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3055, (301) 858-3055
Information on attending hearings: Anyone wishing to testify on any bill must sign up at the committee tablet kiosk no later than 30 minutes before the hearing starts (12:30 P.M.). Oral testimony will be limited to 3 minutes. If you have written testimony, please submit 40 copies to the committee staff by 12:00 NOON prior to the hearing. Late testimony will be distributed after the bill hearing. Please notify the committee staff by 12:30 P.M. if you plan to use the committee display equipment.
Also see these suggestions published by the State of Maryland.
On February 7, 2014, the Maryland House of Representatives introduced HB 1291, which would include e-cigarette use within the definition of "smoking" for purposes of Maryland's Clean Indoor Air Act, effectively banning e-cigarette use wherever smoking is prohibited.
The bill has been referred to the House Standing Committee on Economic Matters, and a hearing has been set for Wednesday, March 5th, 2014 at 1PM in the House Office Building, 6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401. Of the 19 sponsors of this bill, 3 (Barkley, Glenn and Kramer, highlighted in yellow in the contact list below) are on the Economic Matters Committee.
Please take this opportunity to (1) email and call the members of the Committee to provide accurate information about e-cigarettes and your story about how the product has improved your life; and (2) plan on attending the March 5th, 2014 meeting to offer testimony. (Please also see the additional information regarding attending the hearing at the end of this Call to Action.)
What to say:
1. You are a Maryland resident and while you support banning sales of e-cigarettes to minors, you OPPOSE banning e-cigarette use where smoking is banned. (If you are responding to this Call to Action and are not a state resident, please mention any connection you have to the area, for example, you travel to Maryland on vacation or have friends/family in the area.)
2. Tell your story on how switching to an e-cigarette has changed your life.
3. Explain that:
- Smoking bans are enacted to protect the public from the harm of secondhand smoke, but e-cigarettes have not been shown to cause harm to bystanders. In fact, all evidence to date shows that the low health risks associated with e-cigarettes are comparable to other smokeless nicotine products.
- The low risks of e-cigarettes is supported by research done by Dr. Siegel of Boston University, Dr. Eissenberg of Virginia Commonwealth, Dr Maciej L Goniewicz of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Dr. Laugesen of Health New Zealand, Dr. Igor Burstyn of Drexel University, and by the fact that the FDA testing, in spite of its press statement, failed to find harmful levels of carcinogens or toxic levels of any chemical in the vapor.
- A comprehensive review conducted by Dr. Igor Burstyn of Drexel University School of Public Health based on over 9,000 observations of e-cigarette liquid and vapor found "no apparent concern" for bystanders exposed to e-cigarette vapor, even under "worst case" assumptions about exposure.
- Electronic cigarette use is easy to distinguish from actual smoking. Although some e-cigarettes resemble real cigarettes, many do not. It is easy to tell when someone lights a cigarette from the smell of smoke. E-cigarette vapor is practically odorless, and generally any detectable odor is not unpleasant and smells nothing like smoke. Additionally, e-cigarette users can decide whether to release any vapor ("discreet vaping"). With so little evidence of use, enforcing use bans on electronic cigarettes would be nearly impossible.
- The ability to use electronic cigarettes in public spaces will actually improve public health by inspiring other smokers to switch. Surveys of thousands of users indicate that the majority of those who switch completely replace tobacco cigarettes with the electronic cigarettes, reducing their health risks by an estimated 99%.
- By switching to a smokeless product, you have greatly reduced your health risks.
4. Direct them to the CASAA.org website, as well as the CASAA Research Library, for more information.
Contact Information for the Members of the House Standing Committee on Economic Matters:
Comma delimited e-mail: dereck.davis@house.state.md.us, david.rudolph@house.state.md.us, charles.barkley@house.state.md.us, ben.barnes@house.state.md.us, aisha.braveboy@house.state.md.us, emmett.burns@house.state.md.us, galen.clagett@house.state.md.us, cheryl.glenn@house.state.md.us, jeannie.haddaway@house.state.md.us, tom.hucker@house.state.md.us, rick.impallaria@house.state.md.us, sally.jameson@house.state.md.us, benjamin.kramer@house.state.md.us, maryann.love@house.state.md.us, brian.mchale@house.state.md.us, warren.miller@house.state.md.us, joseph.minnick@house.state.md.us, keiffer.mitchell@house.state.md.us, john.olszewski@house.state.md.us, steve.schuh@house.state.md.us, kelly.schulz@house.state.md.us, donna.stifler@house.state.md.us, michael.vaughn@house.state.md.us
DERECK E. DAVIS, Chair
Democrat, District 25, Prince George's County
phone: (410) 841-3519, (301) 858-3519, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3519 (toll free)
e-mail: dereck.davis@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3558, (301) 858-3558
DAVID D. RUDOLPH, Vice Chair
Democrat, District 34B, Cecil County
phone: (410) 841-3444, (301) 858-3444, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3444 (toll free)
e-mail: david.rudolph@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3558, (301) 858-3558
CHARLES E. BARKLEY
Democrat, District 39, Montgomery County
phone: (410) 841-3001, (301) 858-3001, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3001 (toll free)
e-mail: charles.barkley@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3009, (301) 858-3009
BENJAMIN S. BARNES
Democrat, District 21, Anne Arundel & Prince George's Counties
phone: (410) 841-3046, (301) 858-3046, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3046 (toll free)
e-mail: ben.barnes@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3346, (301) 858-3346
AISHA N. BRAVEBOY
Democrat, District 25, Prince George's County
phone: (410) 841-3707, (301) 858-3707, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3707 (toll free)
e-mail: aisha.braveboy@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3850, (301) 858-3850
EMMETT C. BURNS, JR.
Democrat, District 10, Baltimore County
phone: (410) 841-3352, (301) 858-3352, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3352 (toll free)
e-mail: emmett.burns@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3132, (301) 858-313
GALEN R. CLAGETT
Democrat, District 3A, Frederick County
phone: (410) 841-3436, (301) 858-3436, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3436 (toll free)
e-mail: galen.clagett@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3412, (301) 858-3412
CHERYL D. GLENN
Democrat, District 45, Baltimore City
phone: (410) 841-3257, (301) 858-3257, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3257 (toll free)
e-mail: cheryl.glenn@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3019, (301) 858-3019
JEANNIE HADDAWAY-RICCIO
Republican, District 37B, Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot & Wicomico Counties
phone: (410) 841-3429, (301) 858-3429, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3429 (toll free)
e-mail: jeannie.haddaway@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3523, (301) 858-3523
TOM HUCKER
Democrat, District 20, Montgomery County
phone: (410) 841-3474, (301) 858-3474, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3474 (toll free)
e-mail: tom.hucker@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3065, (301) 858-3065
RICHARD K. IMPALLARIA
Republican, District 7, Baltimore & Harford Counties
phone: (410) 841-3289, (301) 858-3289, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3289 (toll free)
e-mail: rick.impallaria@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3598, (301) 858-3598
SALLY YOUNG JAMESON
Democrat, District 28, Charles County
phone: (410) 841-3337, (301) 858-3337, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3337 (toll free)
e-mail: sally.jameson@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3277, (301) 858-3277
BENJAMIN F. KRAMER
Democrat, District 19, Montgomery County
phone: (410) 841-3485, (301) 858-3485, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3485 (toll free)
e-mail: benjamin.kramer@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3875, (301) 858-3875
MARY ANN LOVE
Democrat, District 32, Anne Arundel County
phone: (410) 841-3511, (301) 858-3511, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3511 (toll free)
e-mail: maryann.love@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3235, (301) 858-3235
BRIAN K. McHALE
Democrat, District 46, Baltimore City
phone: (410) 841-3319, (301) 858-3319, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3319 (toll free)
e-mail: brian.mchale@house.state.md.us
WARREN E. MILLER
Republican, District 9A, Howard County
phone: (410) 841-3582, (301) 858-3582, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3582 (toll free)
e-mail: warren.miller@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3571, (301) 858-3571
JOSEPH J. (SONNY) MINNICK
Democrat, District 6, Baltimore County
phone: (410) 841-3332, (301) 858-3332, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3332 (toll free)
e-mail: joseph.minnick@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3177, (301) 858-3177
KEIFFER JACKSON MITCHELL, JR.
Democrat, District 44, Baltimore City
phone: (410) 841-3802, (301) 858-3802, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3802 (toll free)
e-mail: keiffer.mitchell@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3537, (301) 858-3537
JOHN A. OLSZEWSKI, JR.
Democrat, District 6, Baltimore County
phone: (410) 841-3458, (301) 858-3458, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3458 (toll free)
e-mail: john.olszewski@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3123; (301) 858-3123
STEVEN R. SCHUH
Republican, District 31, Anne Arundel County
phone: (410) 841-3206, (301) 858-3206, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3206 (toll free)
e-mail: steve.schuh@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3764, (301) 858-3764
KELLY M. SCHULZ
Republican, District 4A, Frederick County
phone: (410) 841-3080, (301) 858-3080, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3080 (toll free)
e-mail: kelly.schulz@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3028, (301) 858-3028
DONNA M. STIFLER
Republican, District 35A, Harford County
phone: (410) 841-3278, (301) 858-3278, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3278 (toll free)
e-mail: donna.stifler@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3190, (301) 858-3190
MICHAEL L. VAUGHN
Democrat, District 24, Prince George's County
phone: (410) 841-3691, (301) 858-3691, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3691 (toll free)
e-mail: michael.vaughn@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3055, (301) 858-3055
Information on attending hearings: Anyone wishing to testify on any bill must sign up at the committee tablet kiosk no later than 30 minutes before the hearing starts (12:30 P.M.). Oral testimony will be limited to 3 minutes. If you have written testimony, please submit 40 copies to the committee staff by 12:00 NOON prior to the hearing. Late testimony will be distributed after the bill hearing. Please notify the committee staff by 12:30 P.M. if you plan to use the committee display equipment.
Also see these suggestions published by the State of Maryland.
