So the legislation hasn't even been released yet, but you're jumping to conclusions? I've already said I would fight an outright ban, but as the the news article currently reads, that isn't what is on the table. If, when the legislation is released, it reads like you are stating, I will be the first one in line to oppose it. As the article currently states, that just isn't the case.
I think Mr. Porter made it pretty clear in the article that only hookah were only going to be allowed in specific establishments and e-cigs were still banned in public places:
"[With HB245] we’ve kept hookah out of day cares and Chuck E. Cheeses. We’re keeping e-cigarettes off TRAX,” Porter said.
What a joke - like Chuck E. Cheese or day care centers would ever have allowed hookahs to be set up there, even if this law wasn't passed. They still have to appeal to and attract their customers with kids, for Pete's sake. Pure scare tactics - and fantastical ones, at that.
You're talking about the state that has the lowest smoking rates in the entire nation. One store (in admittedly a large state area wise) is nothing... 5 years to accumulate data on the safety and efficacy of vaping and you're ready to throw that away? Seriously... If this is CASAA's official stance, they will NEVER see any money from me. You win some, you lose some... Right now, this looks like a win.
It seems to me that you actually jumped to the conclusion that this deal also excluded e-cigarettes from the smoking ban for 5 years? Where did you see that in the article?
I read this:
While Porter is on board with the new bill, Jason Cornfeld, who owns ElectronicStix, an e-cigarette shop in Ogden that opened in 2008, said it would be a blow to his business.
Cornfeld’s shop has a “vaping” lounge attached to the store, where customers can use the “juice” they buy for their e-cigarettes. That would have to go.
And Cornfeld currently demonstrates to new customers how the E-cigarettes work. He would have to use a liquid without nicotine for the demonstrations if the law passes.
“It’s going to impact how we do business and it’s going to be a little harder to demonstrate things,” said Cornfeld.
I saw no mention in the article that public use of e-cigarettes would also be in the 5 year exemption? In fact, Cornfield seems to be saying that e-cigarette use is NOT exempted at all or else he would be able to keep his lounge and give demonstrations.
I would give Greg the benefit of the doubt, Nate. He has worked his .... off as a CASAA director - calling legislators, submitting FOIA requests, researching proposed legislation - he is not one to jump to conclusions without strong evidence. Having been through a few of these, he is absolutely correct that the hookah bar owner gave in too soon (along with throwing e-cig users under the bus when we specifically avoided doing that to hookah users). He jumped one hurdle and called it a draw. CASAA knows there are many more hurdles before this race can be called finished. I think we've been around these tracks enough times to know when to call it a win or a loss and deserve more credit than you give us?
So I would have to say this is definitely not what you suggest - they are
not offering e-cigarette users a 5 year reprieve along with hookah. Seriously - do you really think CASAA wouldn't have also viewed that as a short-term win?? But based on this article, they aren't even offering the e-cigarette
store the same deal as the hookah bar. Definitely not a win.
