CASAA Call to Action opposing proposed e-cig usage ban in New York City

[PaulaNG]

Sent out a tweet; starting to like twitter

Ok so I now have twitter and did the 5 or 6 tweets!
And I did my CASAA membership testimonial

 

[Bill Godshall]

12/4/13 NY City Council Health Cmte hearing on proposed e-cig use ban (audio/video available at)
The New York City Council - Committee on Health

If you haven't done so, please send an e-mail to NY City Council Health Cmte members urging opposition (as they are likely to vote on the bill next Tuesday, December 10). If you live in NYC, please call or visit City Council members.

mathieu.eugene@council.nyc.gov, albert.vann@council.nyc.gov, jotero@council.nyc.gov, helen.foster@council.nyc.gov, joel.rivera@council.nyc.gov, rosie.mendez@council.nyc.gov, jferreras@council.nyc.gov, peter.vallonejr@council.nyc.gov, jvanbramer@council.nyc.gov, drose@council.nyc.gov

 

[Shopan]

Thanks Bill..That is a Great Post!!! Have sent them a few Already But Why not fill their Boxes!!!

 

[rothenbj]

Bless those that can go to these meetings and listen to the talking heads spend hours justifying why they should pass an ordinance they already have decided they want to pass and hoping that what they say will somehow convince the board to change direction.

The point made by the councilman about Kicklas (spelling) stating that e cigs were a tobacco product (meaning in his mind they should be treated like cigarettes) and the attempt of the panel trying to explain them as a smokeless product blew my mind. But the very next panel had the twit from UCSF talking about "scientific" propaganda studies was all I could take.

If, somehow, this board doesn't pass the ordinance, I'll be surprised. Of course, I'm a cynic.

 

[AgentAnia]

Jredheadgirl blog has posted a commentary on Audrey Silk's testimony at the hearing (w/ some quotes that will have you applauding). (Both these ladies are on my Heroes List!)

http://jredheadgirl.blogspot.com/2013/12/audrey-silk-speaks-before-nyc-council.html

Silk makes an interesting and relevant point:

In reference to banning vaping on the basis of we don't approve of vaping because it looks like smoking, Audrey responds righteously:

...then we are talking about my freedom of speech.​

​

 

[WorksForMe]

In contrast, the Virginia Attorney General issued a legal opinion in 2010 stating that use of an e-cigarette is not included in the definition of smoking in Virginia's Clean Indoor Air Act. Seeing e-cigarettes in use has not served to renormalize smoking in Virginia. In fact,Virginia's adult smoking rate was 20.9% in 2011, but dropped to 19.0% in 2012.

Since Democrat Mark R. Herring won the race to become Virginia’s next attorney general, I hope that Virginia does not reverse course.

J.R.

 

[yvilla]

Since Democrat Mark R. Herring won the race to become Virginia’s next attorney general, I hope that Virginia does not reverse course.

J.R.

All Cuccinelli did was interpret the existing statewide smoking ban law in Virginia - correctly. As written, it simply does not cover the use of e-cigs.

Legislators write the laws, not state Attorney Generals. No smoking ban anywhere in existence before the rise of e-cig use covered the use of e-cigs. What we have seen over the past few years are states and localities proposing and attempting to pass either new smoking bans, or amendments of existing smoking bans, that do expressly include e-cig use. As an example of this, see the current proposal to do just that in Richmond! http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...86-richmond-votes-tough-ban-e-cigarettes.html

So if the state of Virginia "reverses course", it won't be at the hands of the new AG, it will be at the hands of the legislators of the state, (and the governor too who will have to sign off on any new legislation if passed).

 

[DJLEC]

What we have seen over the past few years are states and localities proposing and attempting to pass either new smoking bans, or amendments of existing smoking bans, that do expressly include e-cig use. As an example of this, see the current proposal to do just that in Richmond! http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...86-richmond-votes-tough-ban-e-cigarettes.html

I laughed when I read about Richmond, CA. I live close to there and they do not have the resources to be chasing either Smokers or Vaper's. The Police have much bigger problems since it is an S Hole.

 

[BrooklynSteam]

@Bill,

I wrote them a letter (in New Members thread because it was my first post here):
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...0753-letter-i-wrote-nyc-health-committee.html

I will make phone calls today. I didn't know the vote is tomorrow. Thanks for being so active about this issue in NYC.

I know from the guys at the various bodegas I buy e-cigs from (yes, I'm one of those - I've come to actually prefer a commercial brand -- EonSmoke -- even though I have devices I've bought from various online dealers), I know that a lot of people are vaping in NYC, but I bet most of them don't realize that the city is trying to push this through before the new mayor comes into office.

The list of Committee members is here:
The New York City Council - Committee on Health
If you click on their names, you will be taken to their page where you can find their phone numbers.

I hope all New York City vapers reading this will make some calls today....

 

[Bill Godshall]

I think the NYC Council's Health Cmte was planning to vote on the bill tomorrow (so the full council can vote on it next week before Bloomberg and two council sponsors leave office), so its important to get lots of calls and letters today and tomorrow AM.

 

[BrooklynSteam]

@Bill, re: Hon. Inez E. Dickins (District 9) (D - Manhattan) (212-678-4505)

You can email her by sending email to her Aide, who I spoke to over the phone. His name is Lermond Mayes, and his email address is lmayes@council.nyc.gov. ( I think his official title is "Chief of Staff").

I spoke to him for a while today. He was very polite and willing to discuss the issue, but did not seem particularly enthusiastic about my position.

Also, I spoke to the Aide of Hon. Maria Del Carmen Arroyo (District 17) (D - Bronx) on the phone today (212-788-7397). She did seem quite sympathetic (I don't whether the Council Member feels the same way), and we spoke for quite a while. We had a really nice discussion. She told me specifically though -- the more people you get to call or write in, the more likely they are to listen to you. They really do pay attention to large numbers of constituents calling and writing in.

I also called Peter Vallone's office, but in that case, got a recording, so I left a message.

I hope some of you fellow NYC vapers will also make calls and write a letter to the committee -- at the beginning of this thread, Bill Godshall has posted all the contact information you need.