I have to post this here because I'm still "new." Can somebody maybe copy it to the proper forums - SC and Law?
This is a letter I mailed to my representative on Friday:
The Hon. [ ]
South Carolina House of Representatives
432C Blatt Bldg.
Columbia, 29201
Dear Rep. []:
I would like to draw your attention to prefiled House Bill 3109, which would prohibit the use of "electronic cigarettes" in any place where smoking tobacco is prohibited.
The electronic cigarette or personal vaporizer is a device that can simulate the act of smoking by producing a vapor. It is not tobacco smoke, and there is no evidence that it poses any hazard to the user or anyone else.
There is information available to counter the claims of the FDA and ASH that personal vaporizers are harmful to anyone. Please take the time to investigate this issue.
I have enclosed two reports, one on testing of the electronic cigarette vapor, which I abridged, and another from the Association of Public Health Physicians. Both are available on the internet.
My personal interest in this matter arises from the fact that five months ago, after 52 years of smoking, I picked up a personal vaporizer and have had no desire to smoke since. Three other smokers who saw my vaporizer and asked about it are now former smokers. The effort to ban these devices will adversely affect the health of citizens who will continue to smoke because they are denied this much safer, effective alternative to tobacco.
Please ask sponsors of this bill to provide actual scientific evidence of any harm caused by these devices - not the FDA's careless, flawed "analysis," or the outright falsehoods promulgated by ASH. I would be very surprised if they are able to find any.
Thank you for your attention,
This is a letter I mailed to my representative on Friday:
The Hon. [ ]
South Carolina House of Representatives
432C Blatt Bldg.
Columbia, 29201
Dear Rep. []:
I would like to draw your attention to prefiled House Bill 3109, which would prohibit the use of "electronic cigarettes" in any place where smoking tobacco is prohibited.
The electronic cigarette or personal vaporizer is a device that can simulate the act of smoking by producing a vapor. It is not tobacco smoke, and there is no evidence that it poses any hazard to the user or anyone else.
There is information available to counter the claims of the FDA and ASH that personal vaporizers are harmful to anyone. Please take the time to investigate this issue.
I have enclosed two reports, one on testing of the electronic cigarette vapor, which I abridged, and another from the Association of Public Health Physicians. Both are available on the internet.
My personal interest in this matter arises from the fact that five months ago, after 52 years of smoking, I picked up a personal vaporizer and have had no desire to smoke since. Three other smokers who saw my vaporizer and asked about it are now former smokers. The effort to ban these devices will adversely affect the health of citizens who will continue to smoke because they are denied this much safer, effective alternative to tobacco.
Please ask sponsors of this bill to provide actual scientific evidence of any harm caused by these devices - not the FDA's careless, flawed "analysis," or the outright falsehoods promulgated by ASH. I would be very surprised if they are able to find any.
Thank you for your attention,