ecig ban proposed in new bedford!

[pineappledan]

they're at it again!


LEGAL NOTICE
LEGAL NOTICE

CITY OF NEW BEDFORD

BOARD OF HEALTH

Notice of Public Hearing

In accordance with Massachusetts General
Laws, Chapter 111, Section 31 and the City
of New Bedford Code of Ordinances, Ch. 2,
Administration, Article I, Sec. 2-9, a
public hearing will be held on Thursday,
October 20, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at the Keith
Middle School, Community Room, 225 Hathaway
Boulevard, New Bedford, MA to consider
amendments to Board of Health tobacco
Control Regulations pertaining to
“Prohibiting Smoking in Workplaces and
Public Places” and “Youth Access to tobacco
Products.” The proposed amendments
include prohibiting the sale of tobacco
products in Health Care Institutions,
restrictions on the sale and use of
Electronic Nicotine Delivery Products
(E-Cigarettes), minimum packaging of
cigars, and a ban on Tobacco Vending
Machines.

Copies of the proposed amended regulations
will be available at the New Bedford Health
Department, 1213 Purchase Street, New
Bedford, MA 02740 on Tuesday, October 18,
2011 through Thursday, October 20, 2011,
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and at the Public
Hearing.

Patricia L. Andrade, M.D.,

Chairperson

James Schweidenback,

D.M.D.

Athena Xifaras, M.D.

New Bedford

Board of Health

Oct. 6, 18

they will only release a copy of the proposal 2 days before the hearing. I sent a request for information to the board of health, mayor's information officer, and economic development director(baning ecig sales hurts local buisnesses. long shot I know) today and will keep sending the same message until I get a response. I'm in it to win it guys!

 

[upStomp]

Thanks, Dan. I re-posted on CASAA's Facebook page. I fear these types of notices will be very common across the state - especially if the Boston ban passes.

 

[pineappledan]

I've got all the details finally. ecigs will be attached to tobacco in sales and use. I have no problem with the restriction of ecigs to minors and the tobacco license to sell them personally. the indoor use ban is my concern. I would like to hear more opinions on how to fight that issue. all I have so far is my vaping story, blowing vapor through a paper towel, and explaining how every household has pg, vg, and natural flavors in products they use daily. any help would be greatly appreciated.
http://www.newbedford-ma.gov/health/tobacco/NBHD%20Final%20Draft%20Amended%20Youth%20Access%20Regulation%2010%2018%2011%20(2).pdf

http://www.newbedford-ma.gov/health...ed Workplace_Public Place Reg10 18 11 (3).pdf

I will write my speech tomorrow and post it for all to critique.

 

[pineappledan]

I am here today to help educate the public on electronic nicotine delivery devices, or more commonly known as electronic cigarettes in hope to have some of the new proposed restrictions removed. an electronic cigarette is a battery powered atomizer that heats a base liquid into a vapor. they are most commonly used as a nicotine delivery device, but nicotine is not always found inside the base liquid. electronic cigarettes were developed in china in 2006 by a cigarette smoker to be a safer, healthier and more economical alternative to cigarettes and tobacco products. electronic cigarettes spread all the way around the world and now have a large group of users, many of which have used these devices to eliminate their dependency on tobacco based products. there is currently no evidence that electronic cigarettes cause cancer, lung disease, emphysema, or heart disease. electronic cigarettes do contain nicotine. nicotine can affect blood pressure. other ingredients in a base liquid include propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, as well as natural and artificial flavors. these ingredients are in everything from skin creams and medications to city drinking water in colder climates as a non toxic antifreeze. propylene glycol is being atomized at your local haunted house this weekend as it's the main ingredient in fog machines to produce visible vapor. vegatable glycerin is used in low fat foods as a sugar substitute and is categorized by the American Dietetic Association as a carbohydrate. natural flavors like lorrans, flavor apprentice, flavor west, and other concentrates used for food preparation as well as candy making are not only used in electronic cigarettes, but most flavor concentrates contain propylene glycol. the ingredients inside base liquids are easy to explain compared to the ingredients inside of cigarettes, over 4000 chemicals including embalming fluid, rat poison and carbon monoxide. ingredients like these, plus the approximately 350 degree smoke inhaled are far more dangerous than it's electronic counterpart.
I smoked cigarettes for 10 years before I received my first electronic cigarette on 21 february, 2011, and smoked my last cigarette on february 21, 2011. I have successfully used it to quit smoking. my previous attempts to quit include cold turkey, nicotine patch, and nicotine gum. none of these efforts were anywhere near effective to suppress my urge to smoke. upon quitting, I received support and praise from my family, friends, co-workers, and employer. I am allowed to use it at family members houses because if it's unoffensive odor and short lasting visible vapor. my clothes and breath no longer smell like an ash tray and my lungs are cleaner than they have been in 10 years. I notice I have more breath during physical activities and am slowly stepping down my nicotine levels with a goal of 0 mgs per ml of nicotine content. when I go to resturaunts or taverns, I first ask my bartender or waitress if they mind my use of electronic cigarettes and have yet to be told not to. as a job requirement, I needed a department of transportation health card and during the physical I asked the doctor what she thought of electronic cigarettes. she responded that she has patients that use these devices and overall health was improved over their previous checkups while smoking cigarettes.
recently a petition has been signed to the obama administration asking for support of this new industry and for the inclusion of electronic cigarettes as a smoking cessation device like nicotine gum or the nicotine patch. we all know that approximately 24% of the population are smokers and smoking is the leading cause of cancer in this country, responsible for nearly 100 billion dollars in health care costs annually. If the obama administration supports electronic cigarettes manufacturers here in the US will create jobs and ease the strain on US customs officials who have to search the milti-million dollar annual product currently purchased mainly from china. that being said, I do not propose we allow unrestricted electronic cigarette sales. Electronic cigarettes were created by smokers, for smokers who need help quitting. they are for smoking adults 18 or older and not for kids. they are in no way advertised to remotely imply that they are fun and good for kids. therefore I have no qualms with the obviously necessary sales restrictions in this matter, except for section E. section e states all products have to be in their individual package so that the warning label stays with the product. I ask that to be changed to the parts of the kit that contain nicotine. batteries expire, atomizers burn out, chargers break. they do not contain nicotine and are usually purchased by vendors in bulk. Instead of an electronic cigarette user having to buy a whole kit because his atomizer burns out, a vendor should be allowed to supply a single atomizer.
I wish to leave the indoor and public ban up to the business owners to decide, not the city. If an electronic cigarette vendor wishes to demonstrate his product to an adult smoker than I believe he should be able to. if a group of electronic users wish to hold a meeting, which they do on a monthly basis, and the owner of the business is okay with it, than they should not have to go outside to use their unoffensive elecronic cigarette. the fda, nor any other organization has any evidence of second hand related health issues with electronic cigarettes after 2 years of research and until they find any harm in second hand vapor, electronic cigarettes should not be compared to cigarette smoke. thank you for letting me speak.


heres my speech. comments?

 

[pineappledan]

I wrote a shorter speech to fit in the 3 minute time frame, but made copy of the original to hand out to board members. the new one looks like this
I am here today to represent the cunsumer advacots for smoke-free alternatives association, the electronic

cigarette forum, and fellow electronic cigarette users across america. my goal is to separate electronic cigarettes

from the indoor smoking ban due to the fact that it does not qualify as smoke. electronic cigarettes use a heating

element that converts a base liquid into vapor. it uses food grade and fda approved chemicals such as propylene

glycol, a major ingredient of a fog machines fluid, used at your local haunted house this weekend, and vegetable

glycerine, used in reduced fat products mainly as a sweetener and recognized by the fda as a carbohydrate, to

produce a vaper that is used by many to eliminate the urge to smoke. the fda has not in two years of study provided

any information directly stating that electronic cigarettes cause any major heath effects to the users, or people

nearby. I agree that the product does contain nicotine, with simmilar adverse health as caffine. nicotine is highly

addictive and in no time should be sold to children. it is not advertised as a recreational product to kids, or for

that matter non smoking adults. the fda is starting to see more and more people like myself, who could not break

our tobacco addiction with ineffective nicotine gum or patch. the vapor produced is immencely safer than tobacco

smoke, which contains thousands of chemicals including rat poision and embalming fluid. electronic cigarettes do

not belong in that catagory. I feel it should be up to the owner of the building to decide if they will allow

electronic cigarettes to be used in or around their building, not the government. a more detailed speech has been

sent to the board of health by myself and others in hopes to steer electronic cigarettes away from the smoke

catagory and all false health risks the label would imply.


crossing fingers and vaping easy!

 

[pineappledan]

just got out of the hearing. I got some inside information from a supporter of electronic cigarette indoor ban. he said until they get fda approval they will be banned for indoor use. he also said that the fda will not approve electronic cigarettes until they make cartos non refillable. a common statement made was we could put anything we want into a carto including .... not looking good for any of us

 

[judybr]

And one can not lace cigarettes with crap! I mean really. I remember the days when it was not unusual for people to lace cigs, and I would bet they still do. Who are they kidding.
Judy