Attention illinois casaa members & vapers-emergency!!!

[JustJulie]

I was really hoping the lobbyist was misrepresenting things. Really NOT thrilled that the ACS either mis-communicated with me or their staff, or decided to support something about which they have no policy.

If you decide to follow up on this, please let us know what you find out. I'm curious as to what is going on here. I'm really losing an incredible amount of respect for these charities.

American Lung Association Vs. Electronic Cigarettes - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com

The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary: Anti-Smoking Advocates Using Misleading Claims to Promote Ban on Electronic Cigarettes

The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary: IN MY VIEW: American Lung Association is Full of Hypocrisy in Issuing Report Calling for Reduction in Burden of Lung Cancer on African Americans

 

[CES]

Julie,

I am following up. I started a thread about it somewhere and it got buried. I've hesitated to completely hijack this thread to post the exchange. It may be worthwhile for others to contact the ACS and see what they get- I don't know whether or not it will make a difference for next week's committee hearing, but I think that fighting on all possible fronts is worth a try.

Here's where the exchange stands now. The first quote is the second response I received from the ACS. The following two are my emails back to the ACS this morning.

"Thank you for your patience while we researched your question. According to our National Home Office in Atlanta, Georgia, the American Cancer Society has not taken a position on whether electronic cigarettes should be banned from the U.S. market. Again, we appreciate your comments on the topic and have forwarded them to the appropriate staff person for consideration.

Thank you for contacting your American Cancer Society"

If you have any questions, please contact us via American Cancer Society :: Information and Resources for Cancer: Breast, Colon, Prostate, Lung and Other Forms or call 1-800-ACS-2345. Information Specialists are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This e-mail message is not intended as medical advice, and should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations with qualified health professionals who are familiar with your individual medical needs. The American Cancer Society makes no warranties of any kind regarding this e-mail message, including but not limited to any warranty of accuracy, completeness, currency, reliability, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose and such warranties are expressly disclaimed.

emphasis mine- perhaps i should have read the disclaimer

Thank you for your response. I hope that the ACS is continuing to research the potential benefits of using e-cigs as a less harmful alternative to smoking. However, I am curious. If the ACS has not taken a position on this issue, why did the American Lung Association lobbyist Kathy Drea imply that the ACS supported SB3174, legislation to make sales of e-cigs illegal in Illinois, during the committee hearing on that bill today today?

As a follow up to my email of earlier this morning, this link is to a pdf file in which the ACS directly supports legislation banning the sale of electronic cigarettes.
http://www.iafp.com/legislative/SB3174e-cigarettes.pdf

I am very concerned. If no policy exists how is this support possible? While i do understand that regulation to prevent underage use of e-cigs is important, these products are not being marketed to teens. Here is a link to general information and references related to e-cigs. 7 Biggest Electronic Cigarette Myths - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com

Finally, here is a link to a newly published, peer reviewed study http://www.healthnz.co.nz/2010 Bullen ECig.pdf

Again, I urge the ACS to reconsider supporting legislative efforts that lead to banned the use of e-cigs for adults. If these products had been banned before I learned about them, then I would still be smoking. As of today, I have not smoked a cigarette for 4 months.

Thank you for your time

 

[kristin]

This was found by Boogie:

http://www.iafp.com/legislative/SB3174e-cigarettes.pdf

Notice the letterhead showing the organizations that support the Illinois ban. Yup. ACS is featured prominently.

OK, I'm losing track of the players. Who is Janet Williams (who signed this PDF) again?

 

[JustJulie]

OK, I'm losing track of the players. Who is Janet Williams (who signed this PDF) again?

Illinois Coalition Against Tobacco.

 

[TheBoogieman]

Illinois Coalition Against Tobacco
Illinois Coalition Against Tobacco
Illinois Coalition Against Tobacco - Resources

Who is sponsored by the ALA. And everyone else on that letterhead.

TheBoogieman

 

[kristin]

Thanks!.....

 

[Vocalek]

Found at the bottom of the page links posted by TheBoogieman

"Please feel free to write us with any questions at mmaloney@lungchicago.org"

Perhaps we should send a message describing our personal experiences with the electronic cigarette.

 

[JustJulie]

Found at the bottom of the page links posted by TheBoogieman

"Please feel free to write us with any questions at mmaloney@lungchicago.org"

Perhaps we should send a message describing our personal experiences with the electronic cigarette.

Personally, I think that's an excellent idea.

 

[dohsma]

So I was looking at the page for the Illinois general assembly and I noticed two interesting things. Number 1, it appears to be back on the schedule for next Wednesday, and 2, the chair of the committee was a co-sponsor of the bill, and it appears as though she removed her name from it.

 

[JustJulie]

So I was looking at the page for the Illinois general assembly and I noticed two interesting things. Number 1, it appears to be back on the schedule for next Wednesday, and 2, the chair of the committee was a co-sponsor of the bill, and it appears as though she removed her name from it.

Sorry--I should have posted this here, too.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...more-action-needed-next-week.html#post1265022

 

[TheBoogieman]

Illinois Coalition Against Tobacco - Resources

From the above link:
Blueprint for Tobacco Control in Illinois
http://www.ilcat.org/BP21.rtf

TOBACCO BANS PAGE 10
Background
No community has succeeded in banning the sale of tobacco products. Such laws have been proposed in other states and rejected by local governments. Such laws could be constructed by emulating liquor control laws that have resulted in “dry” areas through out the country. A ban on tobacco sales could also be achieved by passing a tobacco retailer license law and then declining to issue licenses. A variation on this approach is to “grandfather in” existing stores and make there licenses non-transferable. A moratorium on the issuance of new licenses could be enacted and the number of tobacco vendors allowed to dwindle over time.


Hate to pop your ballons guys. But when I read crap like that. It tells me you'd make better of your time, if you talked to your shoe. Only one way to get through to people like that. It requires a crowbar, not an email.

TheBoogieman

 

[JustJulie]

Hate to pop your ballons guys. But when I read crap like that. It tells me you'd make better of your time, if you talked to your shoe. Only one way to get through to people like that. It requires a crowbar, not an email.

TheBoogieman

Sadly, I have little doubt that you're right . . . but I'm willing to expend a bit of energy on the off chance that these charities really might somewhere deep down have a bit of compassion and maybe care just a smidgen about not condemning millions of people to death and illness for the sake of a tragically misguided war on nicotine.

 

[BigJimW]

http://www.ilcat.org/resource.htmHate to pop your balloons guys. But when I read crap like that. It tells me you'd make better of your time, if you talked to your shoe. Only one way to get through to people like that. It requires a crowbar, not an email.

TheBoogieman

I seem to always have more productive conversations with my shoes than with any politician. All they want to do is shake my hand and smile at the cameras while waiving. (the politicians, not my shoes)

With the exception of the Illinois situation, I think we're heading down a bigger rocky road, the likes of which the e-cig has never seen before. All we can do at this point is to keep spreading the word as best as we can. I know I'm going to.