ECO - Organization Charter: Administration

[mtndude]

Objective:

CASAA is a non-profit coalition of consumers and industry professionals working together to educate the public about the real risks and potential benefits of smokeless smoke-free tobacco and nicotine alternatives. It is the group’s goal to publicize research and support harm reduction technologies, as well as provide and support political and legal causes that preserve consumer freedom.

I'm guessing the change to smoke-free is a given, I'm assuming that qualifying the smoke-free as tobacco and nicotine alternatives is in order?

 

[Thulium]

CASAA is a non-profit coalition of consumers and industry professionals working together to educate the public about the real risks and potential benefits of smokeless smoke-free tobacco and nicotine alternatives. It is the group’s goal to publicize research and support harm reduction technologies, as well as provide and support political and legal causes that preserve consumer freedom

Personally, I prefer:

The mission of the The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA) is to preserve the consumer's right to choose safer and more effective alternatives to smoking.

Specifying our intentions to inform/educate/promote/support specific products or legal causes is our means to that end, but those methods very well may need to be changed. For example, if the FDA successfully bans e-cigarettes we might not be able to claim that we are promoting their use, but our freedom of speech would allow us to continue to claim "to preserve the consumer's right to choose" in any case. Alternately, if FDA approves of e-cigarettes, we might not need to do much promotion or legal wrangling, but we might still want to provide information and education resources.

 

[mtndude]

I'd go for that. Is that the mission statement? I guess that trumps everything else.

+ Right, I see what you mean. I hope somehow the PV can prevail, but our worst fears could very well become a reality.

 

[Webby]

I think we're almost there on the mission statement:

The mission of the The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA) is to preserve the consumer's right to choose safer and more effective alternatives to smoking.

Short, sweet and too the point. It leaves plenty of leeway to defend several angles and doesn't lock us into a battle of semantics over a particular product or viewpoint.

The only word that scares me is safer

To me, that just opens the door to groups demanding we provide proof as to exactly what justifies a "safer" alternative to smoking.

 

[kinabaloo]

I think we're almost there on the mission statement:



Short, sweet and too the point. It leaves plenty of leeway to defend several angles and doesn't lock us into a battle of semantics over a particular product or viewpoint.

The only word that scares me is safer

To me, that just opens the door to groups demanding we provide proof as to exactly what justifies a "safer" alternative to smoking.

Not sure 'mission' is the best word; sounds a bit fannatical.

'preserve' could also be changed; as it might soon be moot.

 

[Thulium]

I think we're almost there on the mission statement:



Short, sweet and too the point. It leaves plenty of leeway to defend several angles and doesn't lock us into a battle of semantics over a particular product or viewpoint.

The only word that scares me is safer

To me, that just opens the door to groups demanding we provide proof as to exactly what justifies a "safer" alternative to smoking.

Well, the nice thing about that is the question it begs is one we need to address in the next organization step: Definitions and bylaws. If we are going to be able to answer the question of "What do we mean by 'safer'?" we need to finalize our method of decision-making and voting.

What do I mean by safer? I chose "safer" rather than "safe" because "safe" is an impossible absolute, but "safer" is a transitive, relative, and continuous goal. Although we might choose a particular measure of safety that we vote to recommend, our higher purpose is the continual goal of improved safety and effectiveness. If some other technology came along that provided an even safer and more effective alternative to smoking than personal vaporizers, I think we should give that technology our full support.

I believe that CASAA should support e-cigarettes because it is our collective belief that e-cigarettes currently represent the safest and most effective alternative to smoking. Even if another alternative is "safer" than vaping (like FDA approved NRTs), it is not nearly as effective an alternative to smoking to simply replace the nicotine. If another alternative is "more effective" than vaping like Chantix actively treating the addiction it often creates severe safety issues.

What do we mean by safer? Smoking Replacement* is Safer than detox. What do we mean by more effective? Smoking Replacement* is more effective than Nicotine Replacement Therapy.

On an Administrative note: I think that we should incorporate into or bylaws and constitution a wiki-engine'd information system for our voting system where applicable and a heavily moderated forum for publishing polls and officially endorsed media that is not appropriate for the knowledge base. If we establish these tools in our constitution, the answer to questions like "What do we mean by safer?" could be found in the searchable database or the result of our poll on the answer would be published on the CASAA forum or FAQ.

*Smoking Replacement Therapy: As I was writing this response it occurred to me that the key to all of this might be the creation of a new meme: Smoking Replacement. Smoking Replacement is the philosophy that rather than simply replacing the nicotine, we want to replace the experience of smoking through substitution or virtual reality. We are not attempting to treat, diagnose, or cure any medical condition, we are attempting to replace an unhealthy behavior with one that is equally or more rewarding. Smoking Replacement does not require FDA approval as smoking can be replaced with activities that may or may not involve food or drugs--you don't need FDA approval to publish a book or publish an exercise video designed to be read during your smoke break, but the "jury is still out" on whether you need FDA approval for smoking replacements that include nicotine. We can package this meme into a theory to be submitted for publishing in the appropriate reviews and evaluated on its legal, scientific, and medical worth.

 

[RIMP]

I like that, smoking replacement, yesss!


Ithink you're on to something



RIMP

 

[kinabaloo]

I like it too - except the word therapy; drop that, and it looks good.

Do you mean something different by 'replacement' as opposed to 'alternative'? I guess it sounds more emphatic - one instead of the other.

A nice post Thulium - something to think about.

A patch in theory could be safer than an e-cig - but it's not 'smoking', so no appeal whatsoever to me in that. So even with effective added to safer, it's not quite enough; need freedom to choose this activity in it's own right as 'safe enough'.

Something more to think about: whether a family of memes might serve us better in the meme jungle that a single one.

 

[mtndude]

"...preserve the consumer's right to choose safer and more effective alternatives to smoking."

Does "safer and more effective" necessarily mean both safer and effective, or are they separable? Or does it need to be an and/or statement for that?


Preserve - to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction.

Could become moot as it relates to e-cigs, but would CASAA cease to be an advocate for the rights of consumers? I have a feeling that if a ruling comes down banning e-cigarettes, that's when this organization would be the most proactive, during an appeals process.

 

[kinabaloo]

"...preserve the consumer's right to choose safer and more effective alternatives to smoking."

Does "safer and more effective" necessarily mean both safer and effective, or are they separable? Or does it need to be an and/or statement for that?


Preserve - to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction.

Could become moot as it relates to e-cigs, but would CASAA cease to be an advocate for the rights of consumers? I have a feeling that if a ruling comes down banning e-cigarettes, that's when this organization would be the most proactive, during an appeals process.

My point was not to just keep retreating and trying to preserve what little freedom remains, but to aim for rollback to a more rational level.

 

[Kamanjah]

Take out the arguing point.

Change "...preserve the consumer's right to choose safer and more effective alternatives to smoking."
to
"...preserve the consumer's right to choose an alternative to smoking."

_____________

 

[RIMP]

I'll second that one!


RIMP

 

[mtndude]

Take out the arguing point.

Change "...preserve the consumer's right to choose safer and more effective alternatives to smoking."
to
"...preserve the consumer's right to choose an alternative to smoking."

_____________

hmm... hard to argue with that, even as broad as the statement is.

 

[Webby]

Take out the arguing point.

Change "...preserve the consumer's right to choose safer and more effective alternatives to smoking."
to
"...preserve the consumer's right to choose an alternative to smoking."

_____________

I like that. Broad but distict enough to keep us from being locked into a stance that (as has been mentioned) may evolve if we move from a preservatory to appeal process.

 

[Webby]

Here is where we are with the legal and 501c application:

I was successful in getting our EIN, But now we have to file a 29 page form with the IRS for the exemption status. They require the LLC and Corporation to be created first. This requires that Bylaws for the corporation be created. Which also requires that Articles of Organization for the LLC be created and filed with the state. I will continue to keep that ball rolling, but right now we need more content.

So...

If we can all agree to lock in (for the moment) the mission statement as -

The mission of The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA) is to defend the consumer's right to choose an alternative to smoking.


Let's jump back into the discussion of the key objectives and bylaws (what we plan to do and how we plan to accomplish it)

Thulium and mtndude, you two have put in the most effort to the conversation of the key objectives. Can you compile (in PM first please) the current culmination of everyone’s efforts and then repost it here so we can continue to refine it?

 

[mtndude]

I'll start on that the latest draft, taking into account any objections as they may be voiced. I'll forward it to Thulium and hopefully we can have the draft posted soon.

 

[RIMP]

Thanks guys/gals for all the work you do




RIMP

 

[kinabaloo]

Here is where we are with the legal and 501c application:

I was successful in getting our EIN, But now we have to file a 29 page form with the IRS for the exemption status. They require the LLC and Corporation to be created first. This requires that Bylaws for the corporation be created. Which also requires that Articles of Organization for the LLC be created and filed with the state. I will continue to keep that ball rolling, but right now we need more content.

So...

If we can all agree to lock in (for the moment) the mission statement as -

The mission of The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA) is to defend the consumer's right to choose an alternative to smoking.


Let's jump back into the discussion of the key objectives and bylaws (what we plan to do and how we plan to accomplish it)

Thulium and mtndude, you two have put in the most effort to the conversation of the key objectives. Can you compile (in PM first please) the current culmination of everyone’s efforts and then repost it here so we can continue to refine it?

Yes - that;s the word I was searching for instead of 'preserve': 'defend' - good

Thulium and mtndude - please steer clear of any medicalisation - addiction, disease, therapy, treatment etc. 'Smoking' as a pleasuable pastime has a history of 1000s of years.

 

[Mister]

The mission of The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA) is to defend the consumer's right to choose an alternative to smoking.

Sorry, been very busy for a few days and just catching up.

This statement has evolved to be very specific in the actions defined ("defend", and nothing else explicitly declared, with the legal sense being further reinforced by "consumer's rights") and to be rather broad in the range of alternatives defined. (None excluded - chewing tobacco would now seem to have a clear home here as an equal citizen to vaping.)

Is that really the desired direction?

The statement's focus on "defend" would seem to me to be at a tangent with "Resources" on the web site including extensive information about e-cigs (vs. about their legality) and even more so with "LifeStyle".

I'm ok with the statement if everyone really believes it is correct.

But if the points above seem important then perhaps some adjustment is still merited. A possibility:

The mission of The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA) is to defend and enhance the consumer's ability to choose effective alternatives to smoking.

My reasoning:

Add "and enhance" to broaden scope to include supporting reasearch, advertising, public acceptance, etc.

Replace "consumer's right" by "consumer's ability" because "right" sounds like focusing on legal issues, and also would put some readers immediately into argumentative mode from the get-go. ("Who says that's a right?!")

Add "effective" so that the next layer of description can exclude whatever it wants to exclude, given that there's reason behind it. It also justifies an emphasis on vaping because we all believe vaping to be the most effective alternative.

Pluralize "alternatives" to be clear that it isn't just about vaping.

 

[Mister]

One more small suggestion. I know I'm being picky here but this one statement does have considerable significance and every word is important. Based on my previous suggestion, one more change:

The mission of The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA) is to defend and enhance the consumer's ability to use effective alternatives to smoking.

I think that "to use" includes "to choose" but is desirably broader. It includes in the mission things like links to how-to articles, support groups, etc.