Former Smokers have rights, too.

[Vocalek]

Are you now a former smoker? Do you live in a state or a municipality where the lawmakers want to treat you just like a smoker, by banning indoor use of the device that allowed you to become a former smoker? Perhaps we should appeal to the organizations that are supposed to protect the rights of nonsmokers.

I just left the following message on the web site of the Americans for Nonsmokers Rights. Contact Us - no-smoke.org

Can you help to protect my right to avoid exposure to smoke, as well as my right to remain a non-smoker? I smoked for 45 years and tried over and over to quit using patches, gum, lozenges, Rx inhaler, bupropion, and even hypnosis. Each time, when treatment ended, relapse began. What was causing the problem? For many smokers nicotine abstinence causes protracted cognitive deficiencies, attention deficits, memory problems, depression, and other mood disorders. I have been smoke-free since I switched to an electronic cigarette on 3/27/2009. This Chinese invention delivers nicotine in a vapor created by the same safe chemical used in artificial fog machines. My wheezing and morning cough are gone, I can laugh out loud without going into a coughing fit—and I didn’t have to sacrifice my cognitive and emotional health. Some lawmakers are proposing laws that would force me to go stand in the smoking area when I use the product that keeps me smoke-free. Vapor is not smoke. Can you help?

Two things you should know:

1. ANR's mission:

Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights is the leading national lobbying organization (501 (c) 4), dedicated to nonsmokers' rights, taking on the tobacco industry at all levels of government, protecting nonsmokers from exposure to secondhand smoke, and preventing tobacco addiction among youth. ANR pursues an action-oriented program of policy and legislation.

2. Their Model Legislation http://www.no-smoke.org/document.php?id=229

Unregulated high-tech smoking devices, commonly referred to as electronic cigarettes, or "e-cigarettes," closely resemble and purposefully mimic the act of smoking by having users inhale vaporized liquid nicotine created by heat through an electronic ignition system. After testing a number of e-cigarettes from two leading manufacturers, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that various samples tested contained not only nicotine but also detectable levels of known carcinogens and toxic chemicals, including tobacco-specific nitrosamines and diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical used in antifreeze. The FDA's testing also suggested that "quality control processes used to manufacture these products are inconsistent or non-existent." ([n.a.], "Summary of results: laboratory analysis of electronic cigarettes conducted by FDA," Food and Drug Administration (FDA), July 22, 2009; Summary of Results: Laboratory Analysis of Electronic Cigarettes Conducted By FDA Accessed on: October 22, 2009.) E-cigarettes produce a vapor of undetermined and potentially harmful substances, which may appear similar to the smoke emitted by traditional tobacco products. Their use in workplaces and public places where smoking of traditional tobacco products is prohibited creates concern and confusion and leads to difficulties in enforcing the smoking prohibitions.

Root beer is liquid, comes in brown bottles and foams up. Allowing the drinking of root beer in places where beer drinking is prohibited creates concern and confusion and leads to difficulties in enforcing the beer-drinking prohibition.

In the Definitions section of the Model Legislation:

"E-cigarette" means any electronic oral device, such as one composed of a heating element, battery, and/or electronic circuit, which provides a vapor of nicotine or any other substances, and the use or inhalation of which simulates smoking. The term shall include any such device, whether manufactured, distributed, marketed, or sold as an e-cigarette, e-cigar, e-pipe, or under any other product name or descriptor.

"Smoking" means inhaling, exhaling, burning, or carrying any lighted or heated cigar, cigarette, or pipe, or any other lighted or heated tobacco or plant product intended for inhalation, in any manner or in any form. "Smoking" also includes the use of an e-cigarette which creates a vapor, in any manner or in any form, or the use of any oral smoking device for the purpose of circumventing the prohibition of smoking in this Article.

Root beer is not beer. Vapor is not smoke.

 

[dee5]

Elaine, you are an amazing woman. I love that you devote so much of your time to ferreting out articles and regulations we need to be aware of in an effort to promote this wonderful smoke free alternative and help us obtain the right to vape. Thank you so much for all you do!

I love how these dolts invented their own definition of "smoking". Websters isn't good enough for them I guess. Great analogy with the root beer!

 

[NCC]

I love how these dolts invented their own definition of "smoking". Websters isn't good enough for them I guess.

I switched close to 14 months ago. Just yesterday, a co-worker who is well aware of that fact called me a quasi-smoker. Pressed to explain, he went on to describe his misunderstanding. He felt that I had traded burning tobacco with battery powered smoke. I told him, no smoke = not smoking. To which he replied, "Then what's the battery for?" ... arggg.
I continued to explain that there was no combustion, therefore no smoke. But, that is the kind of nonsense we're up against.

By the definition of "quasi", he was correct. But, his explanation made it clear that he really didn't "get it".

Many thanks Elaine!

 

[Vocalek]

Ask him how much smoke is produced by a pot of water boiling on a stove. The heat produces a physical change in the "state" of the water, changing it from liquid to gas when the temperature is high enough. Now if there is some food stuck on the bottom of that pan, the burner may set the hunk of food on fire. His nose will be able to tell the difference between the steam (vapor) coming off the pot of water and the smoke produced by the burning piece of food.

When his child is sick, the doctor may tell him to run a vaporizer in the child's room. His child's health is quite unlikely to improve if, instead of using a vaporizer, he sets a fire in the wastebasket to produce smoke for his child to inhale.

Smoke can only be produced by setting something on fire. Burning creates chemical changes. This explains how a tobacco cigarette starts out with only 400-500 chemicals and creates smoke that contains around 4,000 new chemicals that were created by the process of combustion. Smoke contains tar and particulates as well. Vapor does not.

Vapor results from a physical change in the state of matter from liquid to gas
Smoke results from chemical changes produced when a substance is burned

This is basic science.

Elementary Science: Matter

 

[Rosco]

Elaine, you are an amazing woman. I love that you devote so much of your time to ferreting out articles and regulations we need to be aware of in an effort to promote this wonderful smoke free alternative and help us obtain the right to vape. Thank you so much for all you do!

I love how these dolts invented their own definition of "smoking". Websters isn't good enough for them I guess. Great analogy with the root beer!

No kidding...just an amazing person. I thank you so much for your determination and time devoted to our cause. It's really quite admirable.

 

[Turnkeys]

Ask him how much smoke is produced by a pot of water boiling on a stove. The heat produces a physical change in the "state" of the water, changing it from liquid to gas when the temperature is high enough. Now if there is some food stuck on the bottom of that pan, the burner may set the hunk of food on fire. His nose will be able to tell the difference between the steam (vapor) coming off the pot of water and the smoke produced by the burning piece of food.

When his child is sick, the doctor may tell him to run a vaporizer in the child's room. His child's health is quite unlikely to improve if, instead of using a vaporizer, he sets a fire in the wastebasket to produce smoke for his child to inhale.

Smoke can only be produced by setting something on fire. Burning creates chemical changes. This explains how a tobacco cigarette starts out with only 400-500 chemicals and creates smoke that contains around 4,000 new chemicals that were created by the process of combustion. Smoke contains tar and particulates as well. Vapor does not.

Vapor results from a physical change in the state of matter from liquid to gas
Smoke results from chemical changes produced when a substance is burned

This is basic science.

Elementary Science: Matter

That's a great arguing point and a perfect rendering for those who refuse to accept what should be simple common sense. Thank you, I'll happily add that one to my quiver.

 

[Vocalek]

Received a response that actually did not surpirse me. At any rate, I got a Blog Post out of it...

The Truth About Nicotine: Americans for Some Nonsmokers' Rights

 

[GMoney]

Received a response that actually did not surpirse me. At any rate, I got a Blog Post out of it...

The Truth About Nicotine: Americans for Some Nonsmokers' Rights

Thank you for all your hard work! Unfortunately, these anti-smoking entities do not care about facts or truth.

I am so sick of the "it hasn't been proven to be safe" argument. I just want to tell them "you exhale water vapor, bacteria, etc. and your exhalations have not been proven to be safe so please stop breathing until we can do more tests."

 

[Vocalek]

Thank you for all your hard work! Unfortunately, these anti-smoking entities do not care about facts or truth.

I am so sick of the "it hasn't been proven to be safe" argument. I just want to tell them "you exhale water vapor, bacteria, etc. and your exhalations have not been proven to be safe so please stop breathing until we can do more tests."

"Please stop breathing..." I love it!

 

[afrazier5]

Just did some looking on our Utah site http://www.tobaccofreeutah.org/Ecigarettes.pdf and it's amazing the lies and half truths they tell. I would love to work with you on this to draft a reply to this group. They lied at our recent legislative session, and continue to spread the lies...

 

[Rosco]

Just did some looking on our Utah site http://www.tobaccofreeutah.org/Ecigarettes.pdf and it's amazing the lies and half truths they tell. I would love to work with you on this to draft a reply to this group. They lied at our recent legislative session, and continue to spread the lies...[/QUOTE]

.............it's what they do......

 

[Vocalek]

Just did some looking on our Utah site http://www.tobaccofreeutah.org/Ecigarettes.pdf and it's amazing the lies and half truths they tell. I would love to work with you on this to draft a reply to this group. They lied at our recent legislative session, and continue to spread the lies...

Sure. I just sent you an email on the topic.

We can call our publication "The LIES about Electronic Cigarettes"

 

[Vocalek]

Sure. I just sent you an email on the topic.

We can call our publication "The LIES about Electronic Cigarettes"

Maybe we need to get "LIES" trademarked, the way they did with TRUTH_TM

 

[FreakyStylie]

Root beer is not beer. Vapor is not smoke.

I want to make this t-shirt!

 

[Vocalek]

I want to make this t-shirt!

GO FOR IT! Then send me one to wear!

 

[afrazier5]

Did some playing around with an idea on the shirt....any market for this?
http://utahelectronicvapers.shutterfly.com/pictures/10
http://utahelectronicvapers.shutterfly.com/pictures/9

 

[Rosco]

That is most excellent....