How To Prepare For the Legislative Sessions In Your State:
Do Your Part In Defending the vaping Movement
As it stands, the FDA is still up in the air with their decision on the regulations regarding the vaping and ecigarette industry. Because of this, each state and all local municipalities are looking to their own devices in terms of regulations when it comes to ecigarettes. In the past year we have been witness to a huge increase in the amount of media coverage that has been put out on the topic of vaping.
We have seen restrictive legislation go up nationwide as states choose to take the law making into their own hands. New York was the first state to sign anti-ecig legislature into law in December 2013. Following their lead, other big cities came falling into placeChicago, Illinois signed a ban in January 2014, Los Angeles and San Francisco in March 2014, Santa Monica in June 2014 and just recently, The Big Island of Hawaii signed their restrictive ecig legislation on January 14, 2015.
With this years legislative sessions, which have just begun this past week, you should expect that vaping, ecigarette devices and related product regulations will be popping up throughout the duration of the lawmaking hearings. The best way you can defend the side of vaping from being labeled just like tobacco cigarettes in the eyes of the public and our lawmakers is by being prepared. Below is a quick list of steps that you can take to ensure that you are ready for this years legislative sessions.
1. Stay up to date on vaping news by joining a newsletter
Keeping informed is one of the best ways to stay on top of the media backlash on electronic cigarettes, one easy way of keeping up to date on the latest news in the vaping world is by joining a newsletter that will supply you with the latest information as it comes to light.
Consider signing up for:
VOLCANO eCigs' newsletter (Subscription link located in the upper right-hand corner of the site)
CASAA The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (subscription link)
SFATA Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association (subscription link)
2. Keep up to date with public hearings and testimonies in your area
An easy way of staying in the know when it comes to the upcoming public hearings that are going on in your local legislation is by looking up the site to your local lawmakers. On there are great resources where you can subscribe your email address for alerts to upcoming testimonies, you can view the legislative calendar for your state, or even better you can utilize RSS feeds and get immediate alerts on your state committees daily plans.
What is RSS?
RSS is an acronym for Really Simple Syndication. RSS feeds are an easy way to receive the latest information when available on a specific topic.
How Do I Subscribe to an RSS Feed?
You will need an RSS feed reader (news aggregator, like Google Reader). Here is a list of other RSS Readers.
If you subscribe to the RSS Reader for your local legislature, you can get up to date information on measure status, member page updates and committee page updates along with Senate daily floor actions.
3. Know your States Representatives
SFATA has created a page on their website where you can easily look up your States Representatives. Check it out here. Find your States Representatives and do a quick search on the work that they have done in your state. You have the ability to reach out and speak to your representatives as your words and actions can have a direct influence on the way they vote and how we are in turn governed. So consider reaching out to your representatives and be your own advocate with Congress and tell them to push for the laws that you care about.
4. Educate yourself in your states current ecig / vaping legislations
Not only is it a good idea to know for your own sake so you arent vaping in an area you should not be, keeping up to date on the local ecig legislations in your area will keep you in the know of what to look out for in terms of pending legislations. As today vaping may not yet been widely restricted, but there is always a chance your local lawmakers are looking to add some form of restrictive legislation.
Check out this guide on the most up-to-date legislations on ecigs per state as created by the American Nonsmokers Rights Foundation: link
5. Be Pro-Active on the vaping front
Show up at public hearings, read testimonies of your own or write a public testimony. Be aware that bills are given a short window of time from when they are active and open to public opinion. By joining the newsletters above and keeping yourself well informed you will always be at the ready anytime a new ecig regulation pops up in your area.
6. Be active in your towns vape scene
Form a local trade union and generate local Facebook pages (or join existing ones), join local vape forums. And utilize and interact with these pages / communities in order to mobilize the local vaping scene in your area.
Until you find forums or Facebook pages to join in your local scene, here are other member forums that you can join to get started on the right foot:
CASAAs Member Forum
E-Cigarette Forum
Reddit e-Cigs
The Right To Vape Forum
7. Be prepared to defend your stance on vaping
It is as simple as knowing your facts. The more knowledge you have about the vaping products that you use, the easier it will be for you to defend the vaping side. So when you can, study up and keep your knowledge on ecigs and vaping products that you are using as current as possible.
Do Your Part In Defending the vaping Movement
As it stands, the FDA is still up in the air with their decision on the regulations regarding the vaping and ecigarette industry. Because of this, each state and all local municipalities are looking to their own devices in terms of regulations when it comes to ecigarettes. In the past year we have been witness to a huge increase in the amount of media coverage that has been put out on the topic of vaping.
We have seen restrictive legislation go up nationwide as states choose to take the law making into their own hands. New York was the first state to sign anti-ecig legislature into law in December 2013. Following their lead, other big cities came falling into placeChicago, Illinois signed a ban in January 2014, Los Angeles and San Francisco in March 2014, Santa Monica in June 2014 and just recently, The Big Island of Hawaii signed their restrictive ecig legislation on January 14, 2015.
With this years legislative sessions, which have just begun this past week, you should expect that vaping, ecigarette devices and related product regulations will be popping up throughout the duration of the lawmaking hearings. The best way you can defend the side of vaping from being labeled just like tobacco cigarettes in the eyes of the public and our lawmakers is by being prepared. Below is a quick list of steps that you can take to ensure that you are ready for this years legislative sessions.
1. Stay up to date on vaping news by joining a newsletter
Keeping informed is one of the best ways to stay on top of the media backlash on electronic cigarettes, one easy way of keeping up to date on the latest news in the vaping world is by joining a newsletter that will supply you with the latest information as it comes to light.
Consider signing up for:
VOLCANO eCigs' newsletter (Subscription link located in the upper right-hand corner of the site)
CASAA The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (subscription link)
SFATA Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association (subscription link)
2. Keep up to date with public hearings and testimonies in your area
An easy way of staying in the know when it comes to the upcoming public hearings that are going on in your local legislation is by looking up the site to your local lawmakers. On there are great resources where you can subscribe your email address for alerts to upcoming testimonies, you can view the legislative calendar for your state, or even better you can utilize RSS feeds and get immediate alerts on your state committees daily plans.
What is RSS?
RSS is an acronym for Really Simple Syndication. RSS feeds are an easy way to receive the latest information when available on a specific topic.
How Do I Subscribe to an RSS Feed?
You will need an RSS feed reader (news aggregator, like Google Reader). Here is a list of other RSS Readers.
If you subscribe to the RSS Reader for your local legislature, you can get up to date information on measure status, member page updates and committee page updates along with Senate daily floor actions.
3. Know your States Representatives
SFATA has created a page on their website where you can easily look up your States Representatives. Check it out here. Find your States Representatives and do a quick search on the work that they have done in your state. You have the ability to reach out and speak to your representatives as your words and actions can have a direct influence on the way they vote and how we are in turn governed. So consider reaching out to your representatives and be your own advocate with Congress and tell them to push for the laws that you care about.
4. Educate yourself in your states current ecig / vaping legislations
Not only is it a good idea to know for your own sake so you arent vaping in an area you should not be, keeping up to date on the local ecig legislations in your area will keep you in the know of what to look out for in terms of pending legislations. As today vaping may not yet been widely restricted, but there is always a chance your local lawmakers are looking to add some form of restrictive legislation.
Check out this guide on the most up-to-date legislations on ecigs per state as created by the American Nonsmokers Rights Foundation: link
5. Be Pro-Active on the vaping front
Show up at public hearings, read testimonies of your own or write a public testimony. Be aware that bills are given a short window of time from when they are active and open to public opinion. By joining the newsletters above and keeping yourself well informed you will always be at the ready anytime a new ecig regulation pops up in your area.
6. Be active in your towns vape scene
Form a local trade union and generate local Facebook pages (or join existing ones), join local vape forums. And utilize and interact with these pages / communities in order to mobilize the local vaping scene in your area.
Until you find forums or Facebook pages to join in your local scene, here are other member forums that you can join to get started on the right foot:
CASAAs Member Forum
E-Cigarette Forum
Reddit e-Cigs
The Right To Vape Forum
7. Be prepared to defend your stance on vaping
It is as simple as knowing your facts. The more knowledge you have about the vaping products that you use, the easier it will be for you to defend the vaping side. So when you can, study up and keep your knowledge on ecigs and vaping products that you are using as current as possible.
