New York State Senator Kemp Hannon has proposed Bill S07635 (Link: S7635-2011 - NY Senate Open Legislation - Prohibits the sale or offering for sale of electronic cigarettes - New York State Senate).
This bill would:
If enacted, prohibit all sales of electronic cigarettes. It amends New York Public Health Law, §1399-11, enacted in August 2000, which prohibited cigarette sellers and common carriers from shipping cigarettes directly to consumers.
The bill was introduced in the Health Committee and may be referred to the Rules Committee which meets daily. Thus it could be sent to the full Senate at any time. So it is urgent that messages be sent to members of the Rules Committeeimmediately.
NOTE: You do not need to include all of the items listed below, but the first two are vital.
What to say:
1. Let them know that you strongly oppose S07635 that would ban all electronic cigarette sales, but that you do support a ban on sales to minors. Senator Johnson's S02926B (same as A 9044-B introduced by Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal) would appropriately ban sales to minors while keeping the products available to adults as a reduced-risk alternative to smoking.
2. Tell your story on how switching from smoking cigarettes to a far less hazardous alternative product has changed your life. When and why did you start using an e-cigarette? What effect has this had on your smoking of tobacco cigarettes? What has been the effect on your health?
3. Explain that research has consistently shown that virtually all e-cigarette users are using them as a substitute for smoking. The vast majority tried to quit smoking multiple times, using the other methods available and failed.
4. Tell them that there are an estimated 250,000 e-cigarette users in New York. Many, deprived of the ability to purchase e-cigarettes in New York, will return to the far more hazardous act of smoking since tobacco cigarettes will, ironically, continue to be readily available in New York.
5. Tell them that e-cigarettes have been shown to pose so little health risk that it is below what can be measured and no one has even tried to estimate it.
a. Claims about chemical contamination are vastly overblown. Some of the supposed contaminants occur as such incredibly low levels that they are barely measurable using the most modern instruments.
b. Pharmaceutical nicotine products like patches and nicotine gum contain about the same quantities of carcinogens as a gram of e-cigarette liquidabout 8 nanograms. In contrast, a pack of Marlboro cigarettes contains 126,000 nanograms.
6. Tell them that cigarette lighters and home fires started by smoking tobacco cigarettes cause far more injuries than e-cigarettes have. According to one study, well over a thousand people are injured per year due to defective lighters [news story], and over 1,000 people are killed by fires caused by smoking [FEMA].b. Pharmaceutical nicotine products like patches and nicotine gum contain about the same quantities of carcinogens as a gram of e-cigarette liquidabout 8 nanograms. In contrast, a pack of Marlboro cigarettes contains 126,000 nanograms.
7. As for smoking itself, on average, it is estimated that smoking for just a couple of months poses a greater health risk than a lifetime of using a smoke-free nicotine or tobacco product.
6. Direct them to the CASAA.org website for more information.
Kemp Hannon (sole sponsor and member of Senate Rules Committee)
hannon@nysenate.gov
The Capitol Room 420
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: 518-455-2200
Chair: Sen. Dean G. Skelos (chairman of Senate Rules Committee)
skelos@nysenate.gov
Legislative Office Building, Room 909
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-3171
James S. Alesi
alesi@nysenate.gov
Room 512, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2015
Fax: (518) 426-6968
Neil D. Breslin
breslin@nysenate.gov
172 State Street Room 413, Capitol
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2225
Martin Malavé Dilan
dilan@nysenate.gov
188 State Street Room 903, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2177
Fax: (518) 426-6947
Thomas K. Duane
duane@nysenate.gov 181 State Street Room 711-B Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2451
Fax: (518) 426-6846
Hugh T. Farley
farley@nysenate.gov 188 State Street Room 711, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2181
Fax: (518) 455-2271
Charles J. Fuschillo Jr.
fuschill@nysenate.gov
188 State Street Room 609, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: 518-455-3341
Ruth Hassell-Thompson
hassellt@nysenate.gov
188 State Street Room 707 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2061
Fax: (518) 426-6998
Owen H. Johnson
ojohnson@nysenate.gov
188 State Street Room 913 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-3411
Liz Krueger
lkrueger@nysenate.gov
172 State Street Room 905 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2297
Fax: (518) 426-6874
William J. Larkin Jr.
larkin@nysenate.gov188 State Street Room 502, Senate Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2770
Kenneth P. LaValle
lavalle@nysenate.gov
188 State Street Room 806, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-3121
Tom Libous
senator@senatorlibous.com
429 Capitol
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2677
Carl L Marcellino
marcelli@nysenate.gov
188 State Street Room 811, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2390
George D. Maziarz
maziarz@nysenate.gov
Room 708, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2024
Velmanette Montgomery
montgome@nysenate.gov
944 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-3451
Fax: (518) 426-6854
Michael F. Nozzolio
nozzolio@nysenate.gov
188 State Street Room 412, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2366
Fax: (518) 426-6953
Kevin S. Parker
parker@nysenate.gov
188 State Street Room 604, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2580
Fax: (518) 426-6843
Bill Perkins
perkins@nysenate.gov
188 State Street Room 517, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: 518-455-2441
Fax: 518-426-6809
Stephen M. Saland
saland@nysenate.gov
State Street Room 504 - Capitol
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: 518-455-2411
John L. Sampson
sampson@nysenate.gov
188 State Street Room 907, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2788
Fax: (518) 426-6806
James L. Seward
seward@nysenate.gov
172 State Street Room 430, Capital
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: 518) 455-3131
Dean G. Skelos
skelos@nysenate.gov
Legislative Office Building, Room 909
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-3171
Malcolm A. Smith
masmith@nysenate.gov
181 State Street Room 808, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2701
Fax: (518) 455-2816
Andrea Stewart-Cousins
scousins@nysenate.gov
188 State Street Room 615, Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-2585
Fax: (518) 426-6811
Comma delimited email list:
hannon@nysenate.gov, skelos@nysenate.gov, alesi@nysenate.gov,breslin@nysenate.gov, dilan@nysenate.gov, duane@nysenate.gov, farley@nysenate.gov,fuschill@nysenate.gov, hassellt@nysenate.gov, ojohnson@nysenate.gov,lkrueger@nysenate.gov, larkin@nysenate.gov, lavalle@nysenate.gov,senator@senatorlibous.com, marcelli@nysenate.gov, maziarz@nysenate.gov,montgome@nysenate.gov, nozzolio@nysenate.gov, parker@nysenate.gov,perkins@nysenate.gov, saland@nysenate.gov, sampson@nysenate.gov,seward@nysenate.gov, skelos@nysenate.gov, masmith@nysenate.gov,scousins@nysenate.gov
Semicolon delimited list:
hannon@nysenate.gov; skelos@nysenate.gov; alesi@nysenate.gov;breslin@nysenate.gov; dilan@nysenate.gov; duane@nysenate.gov; farley@nysenate.gov;fuschill@nysenate.gov; hassellt@nysenate.gov; ojohnson@nysenate.gov;lkrueger@nysenate.gov; larkin@nysenate.gov; lavalle@nysenate.gov;senator@senatorlibous.com; marcelli@nysenate.gov; maziarz@nysenate.gov;montgome@nysenate.gov; nozzolio@nysenate.gov; parker@nysenate.gov;perkins@nysenate.gov; saland@nysenate.gov; sampson@nysenate.gov;seward@nysenate.gov; skelos@nysenate.gov; masmith@nysenate.gov;scousins@nysenate.gov
