Do you live in Indiana or Georgia?? Act NOW!!

[kristin]

Hey Indiana and Georgia vapers! Do you like being able to vape in your state??

Well, the beginning of the end is starting, unless you act NOW!!

Lowell, Indiana and Savanah, Georgia are trying to ban the indoor use of electronic cigarettes!

Once they get that win, it's just a short step to a statewide ban for you!

If you value your right to vape, you need to attend the public comments/hearings and support e-cigarettes!! The Lowell hearing is August 9th and the Savanah hearing is August 12th!!

You don't have to do this alone - CASAA will provide you with all of the materials and guide you with suggested comments and actions. It's important to make the right impression and that is what we are here for!

Please PM CASAA legal director (Yvilla on ECF) for more details and let us know if you can participate.

DON'T EXPECT SOMEONE ELSE WILL DO THIS - WE NEED YOU!!

 

[kristin]

bumping this!

 

[yvilla]

More details about Savannah, Georgia here: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ns/111241-georgia-vapers-advocacy-needed.html

Phone numbers fo Savannah City Council can be found here: Council Members

And, the Lowell, IN public hearing details:

Lowell, IN
501 E Main St
Lowell, IN
Town Hall
Monday August 9, 2010 at 7pm
219 696 7794

 

[yvilla]

Here's the list of Savannah City Council members to contact:

Mayor Otis Johnson, Ph.D
P.O. Box 1027
Savannah, GA 31402
912-651-6444
otis_johnson@savannahga.gov

Edna B. Jackson
Savannah City Council Member
2227 N. Fernwood Ct.
Savannah, GA 31404
912-355-6323
EdnaJackson3@comcast.net

Jeff Felser
Savannah City Council Member
101 East 57th Street
Savannah, GA 31405
PO Box 10286
Savannah, GA 31412
912-232-5353
jfelser@sabrelink.com
www.JeffFelser.com

Van R. Johnson, II
Savannah City Council Member
Post Office Box 9141
Savannah, GA 31412
912-236-9494
aldermanjohnson1@aol.com
Alderman Van R. Johnson, II: Welcome

Mary Osborne
Savannah City Council Member
642 E. 41st St.
Savannah, GA 31401
Cell: 912-507-7186
alderwoman.osborne@gmail.com

Larry Stuber
Savannah City Council Member
1406 Bacon Park Drive
Savannah, GA 31406
Phone: 354-0357
larrystuber@bellsouth.net

Mary Ellen Sprague
Savannah City Council Member
40 East 45th Street
Savannah, GA 31405
912-232-2484
memesprague@juno.com

Clifton Jones, Jr.
Savannah City Council Member
1724 Stuyvesant St.
Savannah, GA 31405
912-232-3270
cliftonjjr@aol.com

Tony Thomas
Savannah City Council Member
18 Vernonburg Ave.
Savannah, GA 31419
912-927-7170
aldermanthomas@aol.com

 

[yvilla]

And here's the list of Lowell, IN Town Council members:

Susan Peterson
Lowell Town Administrator
501 E Main St
Lowell, IN 46356
townadministrator@lowell.net
219-696-7794
fax: 219-696-7796

Phillip Kuiper
President, Lowell Town Council
432 Meadow Ln,
Lowell, IN 46356-2433

Donald Huseman
Vice-President, Lowell Town Council
362 Gwens Cove Ct
Lowell, IN 46356-1776

Shane D. Tucker
Lowell Town Council Member/Sgt. Lowell Police Department
Lowell Police Department
1333 East Commercial Avenue
Lowell, IN 46356

John Alessia
Lowell Town Council Member
5419 W 173rd Pl
Lowell, IN 46356-2064

David Gard
Lowell Town Council Member
669 Eastwood Dr
Lowell, IN 46356-2534

 

[socal]

Since today is Aug 9, do you have an update as to what happened in Lowell?

 

[Luisa]

And here's the list of Lowell, IN Town Council members:

Susan Peterson
Lowell Town Administrator
501 E Main St
Lowell, IN 46356
townadministrator@lowell.net
219-696-7794
fax: 219-696-7796

Phillip Kuiper
President, Lowell Town Council
432 Meadow Ln,
Lowell, IN 46356-2433

Donald Huseman
Vice-President, Lowell Town Council
362 Gwens Cove Ct
Lowell, IN 46356-1776

Shane D. Tucker
Lowell Town Council Member/Sgt. Lowell Police Department
Lowell Police Department
1333 East Commercial Avenue
Lowell, IN 46356

John Alessia
Lowell Town Council Member
5419 W 173rd Pl
Lowell, IN 46356-2064

David Gard
Lowell Town Council Member
669 Eastwood Dr
Lowell, IN 46356-2534

Someone in that area needs to meet with John Boerner--Minority Leader--who well might be Majority Leader after the November elections. He is a smoker and would probably be very interested in ecigs. I contacted his office several months ago,but someone from his District needs to make an appointment and visit with him. He might be a good friend to us. I think his Lowell is in his District,but I am not sure. I posted such a request,but received no replys.

 

[Janetda]

Since today is Aug 9, do you have an update as to what happened in Lowell?

Last night, Gerry166 went to the public hearing and spoke about e-cigs. I believe this is the first indoor ban in Lowell, so most folks there were concerned about regular cigs. No decisions were made and the clerks office told me this morning that she didn't anticipate any further pubic hearings and that the issue may be on the agenda at the next regular meeting in two weeks.

 

[jj2]

My sister has been really having some health problems so I haven't bothered her until now.
She is from Indiana and knows a couple senators (actually talks to them kind of know) and a few other people we'd like to have in our corner. I told her what is going on and she couldn't believe it when I told her Indiana is looking into banning the e-cig.

I NEED MATERIAL TO SEND HER. If I get it to her tonight or early tomorrow, she will send it on and even call to make sure they look at it.

I'm off to visit CASAA but if there is other stuff that's better to send, let me know!!!

 

[Janetda]

Hi JJ2,

I just responded to your PM, but I hadn't seen this yet. What we're talking about here is an indoor public ban in Lowell only. This is NOT a statewide ban on e-cigs.

 

[kristin]

JJ2, I just responded to your PM, as well.

Jan is correct - so contacting state senators is not urgent, but it WOULD be great to get them aware of the issue for future reference. We don't really see states going after e-cigs yet. Right now, the Axis of evil is concentrating on taking down one municipality or county at a time. That makes it very difficult to fight!

 

[Vocalek]

I'll send an email to jj2 (too). I am in the Savannah airport right now, having spoken at the City Council meeting this afternoon.

I was the first speaker, and the only one to ask that e-cigarettes be removed from the wording of the proposed Clean Air 2010 ordinance. I was followed by a few folks who run bars who wanted some concessions regarding providing a separate outdoor dining area for smokers. At least a dozen antis followed and all said they wanted it passed exactly as written now. A couple brought up some things about e-cigarettes that I had not covered in my talk (the FDA wants them banned, we don't know what's in them). I wanted to rebut, but was not permitted to do so. I will follow up with emails to the Council members and Mayor, thanking them for allowing me to speak.

The points I want to emphasize will be that

• We now have numerous toxicology tests showing that the vapor does not contain any harmful substances
• We also have two clinical trials showing that users who inhale the vapor directly are not harmed.
• Over 90% of users report their health has improved: If inhaling the vapor directly improves health, it defies imagination that what the user exhales could harm bystanders.
• The point of passing a Clean Air ordinance is to protect public health
• Several surveys show that 75 - 80% of users are now former smokers.
• If the Council believes that breathing second-hand smoke is harmful, why send former smokers to the smoking section to use their e-cigarettes? We don't send users of Nicorette, Nicoderm, and Nicotrol products to the smoking section to use their products.
• A sizable percentage of e-cigarette users did not intend to quit smoking. It happened spontaneously.
• Treating e-cigarette users as if they were smokers discourages continuing smokers from making the switch.

Public health is best served by excluding e-cigarettes from smoking bans--both for the sake of those who are already former smokers and for the sake of those continung smokers who might be encouraged to quit by being offered an acceptable substitute.

 

[TheBoogieman]

Glad you made it there. And made some representation for us. Its tough to get out all the information we have in the time limits we are given in these meetings.

Thats why the more the merrier. 3mins with 10 people there would be 1/2 hr.
Makes a difference no matter the outcome. Thanks for taking the time.

I'll let you off the hook for the meatloaf if I hit DC, just for going!
Thanks babe,
TheBoogieman

 

[Thulium]

A million thanks, Elaine!

It seems every time the subject of sending vapers out with the smokers, anybody with an "anti" attitude will just write it off as the consequences of our "addiction", but some additional points that could be made:

• Every reason for enacting a Clean Air ordinance does not apply to smoke-free products. The council cannot claim to be acting based on science or in the interest of clean air if they are banning smoke-free alternatives without any evidence of hazards to users, much less bystanders.
• Even the inflammatory FDA press release from last year notably made no mention of any potential harm to bystanders.
• It is important for the council to understand that including smoke-free alternatives in a clean air ordinance is essentially passing a "Blue Law" since there is no practical way to enforce the ordinance.
• Here in Oregon, we've been living with an indoor smoking ban for some time and it has been fairly successful in convincing smokers to go outside because smokers can't easily hide a lit cigarette and will be caught and subject to whatever the penalty.
• As we know (but the council probably does not understand), it is extremely easy to circumvent a law prohibiting the use of an e-cig indoors by "stealth vaping" and even if caught, anything short of video surveillance is hearsay.

Bottom line: Absent any evidence to the contrary, businesses should be allowed to dictate their own policy on smoke-free alternative tobacco products. Why are they singling out e-cigarettes and not including other smoke-free alternative tobacco products, anyway???

 

[Luisa]

I'll send an email to jj2 (too). I am in the Savannah airport right now, having spoken at the City Council meeting this afternoon.

I was the first speaker, and the only one to ask that e-cigarettes be removed from the wording of the proposed Clean Air 2010 ordinance. I was followed by a few folks who run bars who wanted some concessions regarding providing a separate outdoor dining area for smokers. At least a dozen antis followed and all said they wanted it passed exactly as written now. A couple brought up some things about e-cigarettes that I had not covered in my talk (the FDA wants them banned, we don't know what's in them). I wanted to rebut, but was not permitted to do so. I will follow up with emails to the Council members and Mayor, thanking them for allowing me to speak.

The points I want to emphasize will be that

• We now have numerous toxicology tests showing that the vapor does not contain any harmful substances
• We also have two clinical trials showing that users who inhale the vapor directly are not harmed.
• Over 90% of users report their health has improved: If inhaling the vapor directly improves health, it defies imagination that what the user exhales could harm bystanders.
• The point of passing a Clean Air ordinance is to protect public health
• Several surveys show that 75 - 80% of users are now former smokers.
• If the Council believes that breathing second-hand smoke is harmful, why send former smokers to the smoking section to use their e-cigarettes? We don't send users of Nicorette, Nicoderm, and Nicotrol products to the smoking section to use their products.
• A sizable percentage of e-cigarette users did not intend to quit smoking. It happened spontaneously.
• Treating e-cigarette users as if they were smokers discourages continuing smokers from making the switch.

Public health is best served by excluding e-cigarettes from smoking bans--both for the sake of those who are already former smokers and for the sake of those continung smokers who might be encouraged to quit by being offered an acceptable substitute.

Thank you for all you do. We are all very fortunate to have you fight for us.

 

[Webby]

I'll send an email to jj2 (too). I am in the Savannah airport right now, having spoken at the City Council meeting this afternoon.

Wonderful Elaine!

You were the perfect one to go to this and I'm glad it worked out so well.

I look forward to hearing all the details!

 

[Vocalek]

OK, the details are now available:

Newsvine - Savannah GA Includes E-Cigarettes in Smoking Ordinance

Also posted as a news item on the CASAA.org web site.

 

[Vocalek]

Update:

The Smoke-Free Savannah 2010 ordinance has been revised. They did not, however, change any of the language regarding e-cigarettes. The revised version is attached to the Agenda for the August 26 city council meeting. An accompanying letter from the City Manager (see pages 19 through 25 of 33 in the link) states that the revisions address the concerns raised by stakeholders. A number of groups are mentioned, but not ours.

http://www.savannahga.gov/Cityweb/minutes.nsf/64CB8B47A0D785A38525778B00657828/$file/0826.pdf

It might very well be that the city council feels that some "outsider" came in to tell them how to run their city and that the real residents want e-cigarettes included.

There is only one hope left for the vapers in and around the city of Savannah. If you vape and you live near Savannah, you need to contact the city council members and the Mayor and let them know that you want e-cigarettes removed from the ordinance.

Contact information can be found in Response #4 of this thread. I suggest phone calls rather than email at this point.