CASAA Call to Action! Contra Costa County, CA APRIL 9th Vote!

[kristin]

Link to Call to Action: http://blog.casaa.org/2013/03/call-to-action-contra-costa-county.html
Contra Costa County, California: Attempt to Add E-Cigarettes to "Smoking" Ban -- Ordinance 2013-10

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[full text of Ordinance 2013-10]

If enacted, this bill would:
Ban the use of vapor products wherever smoking is prohibited. In addition to banning e-cigarette use in workplaces,it would also ban e-cigarette use in multi-unit housing with 2 or more units.

Over the past week, multiple news reports have claimed that Contra Costa County, California enacted a ban on e-cigarette use. These reports are false. There is still time to stop Ordinance 2013-10 from becoming law.

The first reading of this bill took place before the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on March 19, 2013. At the hearing, a local doctor made a presentation that made multiple false claims about e-cigarettes. The doctor even claimed that by marketing e-cigarette "starter kits," vendors are directly marketing to youth. Multiple parties claimed that the sight of adults using e-cigarettes will inevitably lead children to begin using e-cigarettes. The hearing can be watched here (select SD 3).

A public hearing will be take place on Tuesday, April 9th at 9:30 a.m. at the County Administration Building, 651 Pine Street, Room 107, Martinez, California. We need vapers in and around the Contra Costa County to attend and testify. If you can attend, please e-mail us at board@casaa.org with the subject line "Contra Costa Testimony." Please help out in any way you can.

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Please call, write or fax the members of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors below.

What to say:
1. You would like them to vote NO on Ordinance 2013-10.

2. Tell your story on how switching to an e-cigarette has changed your life.

3. Explainhow 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 is 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 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.

4. Detail how 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 ("stealth vaping"). With so little evidence of use, enforcing indoor use bans on electronic cigarettes would be nearly impossible.

5. If you are a California resident and currently vape in public, talk about your experience. Do businesses you frequent allow you to vape? What about your office? Be sure to include your address and full name.

6. Inform them that the ability to use electronic cigarettes in public spaces and in multi-unit residences 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 98-99%.

7. Tell them that by switching to a smokeless product, you have greatly reduced your health risks.

8. Direct them to the CASAA.org website for more information.

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How to sign up to speak:
Download and print the Request To Speak Form (pdf): Click Here to Download
Fill out the form and send it as an email attachment by April 8th to: june.mchuen@cob.cccounty.us

This form may also be mailed or dropped off in person by April 8th to:
June McHuen
Clerk of the Board
651 Pine St.,
Martinez, CA 94553

How to submit written comments by email:
Email your written comments to district5@bos.cccounty.us
CC: june.mchuen@cob.cccounty.us
Reference in the subject line: "Ordinance NO. 2013-10"
(All supervisors will receive a copy of using this email.)


Written comments may also be mailed or dropped off in person by April 8th to:
June McHuen
Clerk of the Board
651 Pine St.,
Martinez, CA 94553


How to contact/call the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors:

Federal D. Glover
District 5 Supervisor, Chairman
Pittsburg Office Information:
315 East Leland Road
Pittsburg, CA 94565
Phone925) 427-8138
Fax: (925) 427-8142

Martinez Office Information:
651 Pine Street
Martinez, CA 94553
Phone: (925) 335-8200
Fax: (925) 335-8208

Hercules Office Information:
151 Linus Pauling Drive
Hercules, CA 94547
Phone: (510) 262-8800
Fax: (510) 262-8808

John Gioia
District 1
11780 San Pablo Ave.
Suite D
El Cerrito, CA 94530
Ph: (510) 231-8686
Fx: (510) 374-3429

Candace Andersen
Supervisor, District 2
San Ramon Valley Office
309 Diablo Road
Danville, CA 94526
Ph: (925) 957-8860
Fx: (925) 820-3785

Mary Nejedly Piepho
Supervisor, District 3
Brentwood Office
3361 Walnut Boulevard, Suite 140
Brentwood, CA 94513
South County Office
4115 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Suite 100-19
Danville, CA 94506
925.252.4500
925.240.7261

Karen Mitchoff
Supervisor, District 4
2151 Salvio St., Suite R
Concord, CA 94520
Ph: (925) 521-7100
Fx: (925) 646-5202

 

[Berylanna]

Contra Costa Board of Supervisors
cc: Fire Chief Daryl Louder

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

As a sometime visitor to Contra Costa County, I am very concerned about the April 9 vote on Ordinance 2013-10 which would make it impossible to ban smoking without also banning the much-safer “vaping” of electronic cigarettes. I support laws to protect the public from second-hand-smoke and the fire danger of cigarette butts, whereas electronic cigarettes have neither smoke nor fire.

There is NO risk from second-hand vapor. And no blood-nicotine uptake from second-hand vapor. Risk from 1st-hand vapor is 99% less than from combustible cigarettes. I am not asking you to take my word for it, this comes from peer-reviewed studies by medical bodies, and I am mailing information for you to verify independently. This ordinance would damage public health and fire safety by removing some of the incentives to switch from combustible cigarettes to much-safer “fake” cigarettes.

I started vaping a year ago, and finally quit smoking on January 1 of this year. I had tried patches about 10 times, I tried gum once, I tried cold turkey about 1000 times. Now that I have switched to e-cigarettes, my gums are improving, my wheezing at night has stopped, and my grandchildren don't wrinkle their noses when I pick them up. I can now climb 3 flights of stairs – before switching to vaping I had trouble with one flight.

A law forbidding battery devices in all the places where fire would be dangerous, and banning what is effectively coffee steam, will dilute the meaning and power of no-smoking laws and rules. Banning something that REDUCES danger to others, even in one's own home, would change the perception of existing safety laws into one of “big-brother” strong-arm laws – making the entire anti-smoking package look completely arbitrary.

It would also put undue limits on landlords, recreational facilities, and others with the need to avoid fire danger, smoke stink, second-hand smoke, and other damaging effects of combustible tobacco – they will be unable to ban smoking without banning the most-effective method of stopping smoking the world has ever seen – thus retaining smokers where they could have encouraged switching for safety's sake.

The average purchaser of electronic cigarettes is 40+ years old. At 61, I don't vape in family restaurants or stores, but I do vape in more-adult venues such as pubs and coffee houses. I've always been prepared to stop if requested to do so, but instead I get the opposite reaction. Young professionals approach me and ask if what I'm doing might work for their parents, and how they can find information on getting them to switch. Especially their Dads because they seem to be aging so fast.

Please keep the focus of the anti-smoking laws on fire and smoke where they belong.

Thank you
XXXXXXXX

 

[kristin]

OK, people stepped up in Utah and Connecticut and they are stepping up for Oklahoma - now we need you folks in Contra Costa County to step up! Who can go to the meeting on the morning of Tuesday, April 9th?? Who is going to submit written comments??

There are more people living in Contra Costa County (1,066,000) than in all of Rhode Island! Major cities in Contra Costa County include: Richmond, Concord, Pittsburg, Antioch, and Walnut Creek. And it is very close to San Francisco. Fight for your rights, folks!

 

[kristin]

CASAA still hasn't heard from any vapers in Contra Costa County!

 

[Elnroth]

Any known vendors in that country?

 

[kristin]

Any known vendors in that country?

I think Greg found one, but I don't think he has gotten back to us on whether or not he is going.

We STILL don't have anyone speaking at the BOS meeting April 9th!!

 

[Elnroth]

Have we found anyone to attend yet?

 

[Petrodus]

Have we found anyone to attend yet?

Using the Blu ecig store locator for cities in the county ...
The ENTIRE County is SATURATED with stores selling e-cigarettes !!

 

[Double777]

Apolloecigs is on that county.
That sad to hear that there was no speaker on April 9.

 

[Elnroth]

One of my supplier Apolloecigs is on that county.
That sad to hear that there was no speaker on April 9.

Check your calendar, it's only April 3rd. If apollo is I'm that county, you should urge them as a concerned customer to speak.

 

[kristin]

We had one former resident (now in the Bay area) step up, but no vendors and no current residents. It's hard to believe none of the 1,066,000 people living there are vapers willing to step up to protect their right to vape in their own residence!

 

[Petrodus]

We had one former resident (now in the Bay area) step up, but no vendors and no current residents. It's hard to believe none of the 1,066,000 people living there are vapers willing to step up to protect their right to vape in their own residence!

Yeah ...
Considering the entire county is blanketed with stores selling e-cigarettes !!!!!!

 

[Double777]

Yes..unbelievable!

 

[Petrodus]

................

 

[DC2]

I just spoke with the folks over at Apollo Electronic Cigarettes (Concord) and they are aware of this legislation.
They have already sent an email to their customers as well.

I don't know if that email included the link below, but I made them aware of it...
CASAA: Call to Action! Contra Costa County, California E-Cigarette Usage Ban -- Ord. 2013-10

 

[DC2]

Does anyone know of any other electronic cigarette stores in Contra Costa County?

 

[Berylanna]

Reminder, today is the last day to sign up for your 3 minutes tomorrow in Martinez. During business hours.

I had to download a PDF, fill it out (very short!), scan it back in, and email it to the board's secretary.

I AM NOT a resident of this county, and I really cannot afford the time off work, so if I don't hear anything from anybody who is going or coordinating, whether or not I go will depend on my mood at 5am tomorrow morning. I need to know if I can contribute anything before I barge into another county's meeting.

(I'm curious how many of the "multiple speakers" who spoke to the board about the dangers of ecigs were from within the county...?)

 

[kristin]

According to my source, there have only been about 5 comments emailed to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors regarding the e-cig use ban being voted upon tomorrow and we only have 2 people who say they intend to go speak!

If you live in California, even outside of this county, PLEASE email comments!!

 

[Berylanna]

According to my source, there have only been about 5 comments emailed to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors regarding the e-cig use ban being voted upon tomorrow and we only have 2 people who say they intend to go speak!

If you live in California, even outside of this county, PLEASE email comments!!

From tomorrow's agenda -- sure looks like RJ Reynolds work to me!!!! How can we counter this without sounding negative?

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The Board of Supervisors adopted the County’s Tobacco Retailer Licensing Ordinance in 2003 requiring all retailers selling tobacco products to secure a County Tobacco Retailer License, and allowing for license suspension if retailers are found to be in violation of tobacco laws, including the no sales to minor law. As part of the Health Services Department’s annual report on implementation of the County’s Secondhand Smoke Protections Ordinance to the Family and Human Services Committee on August 6, 2012, staff presented information about 1) multi-unit housing protections under the County’s Secondhand Smoke Protection Ordinance and 2) the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in areas where smoking is prohibited and concerns about these products.


Multi-Unit Housing Protections. Staff reported to the Committee that complaints to the Tobacco Prevention Project have included drifting smoke complaints in buildings with two or three units, which are not currently covered under the ordinance. The current Secondhand Smoke Protections Ordinance defines “multi-unit residence” as a building with four or more units. As such, those living in multi-unit residences in buildings with under four units do not have the same protections, including no smoking within 20 feet of resident doorways and windows; on balconies and patios; and landlord disclosure of smoking permitted areas.
Regulating Electronic or “E” Cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes, are battery-operated products designed to deliver nicotine, flavor and other chemicals. They often resemble the “look” of a cigarette, including a battery-lit glow at the end of the device, and are currently unregulated. They turn nicotine, which is highly addictive, and other chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has conducted laboratory analysis of electronic cigarette samples and found they contained carcinogens and toxic chemicals to which users and bystanders could potentially be exposed. Because clinical studies about the safety and efficacy of these products have not been submitted to the FDA, consumers currently have no way of knowing whether e-cigarettes are safe for their intended use; what types or concentrations of potentially harmful chemicals are found in these products; or how much nicotine is being delivered through these products.

The FDA is concerned that e-cigarettes can increase nicotine addiction among young people and may lead young people to try other tobacco products, including conventional cigarettes, which are known to cause disease and lead to premature death. These unregulated devices have a high appeal to youth due to their high-tech design and availability in youth-friendly flavors. In addition to the possible health risk associated with these products, there is growing concern that use of e-cigarettes in public places and places of employment could increase social acceptance of smoking, and trigger relapse in those who are trying to quit smoking.
Because these products look incredibly similar to tobacco cigarettes, they may provide models for unhealthy behavior, particularly among youth, and complicate enforcement of state and local laws governing the smoking of tobacco products in public places.

 

[Pinkcloudtracy]

I just spoke with the folks over at Apollo Electronic Cigarettes (Concord) and they are aware of this legislation.
They have already sent an email to their customers as well.

I don't know if that email included the link below, but I made them aware of it...
CASAA: Call to Action! Contra Costa County, California E-Cigarette Usage Ban -- Ord. 2013-10

I think this is part of the problem. In Sacramento we have no physical stores to date that I'm aware of. I think ALL vendors, on and off line should be notified that unless they get involved, they may soon be out of business.

I have watched over a dozen friends and family members quit smoking by vaping and none of them have joined ECF or CASSA. I am partially to blame. Though I've put the information on my Facebook page, I haven't gone door to door or pushed the matter. I am not in a position to push anything right now as I've been sick. But sick or not, I WILL be at the Capitol on the 17th to testify (God willing and I don't get hit by a bus first).
Thank you all who work so diligently for the rest of us.