Macon, Georgia attempting to pass smoking / e-cig indoor ban

[dspin]

I'm tired of all of this, personally I can't wait for a revolution so we the people can take back this country that belongs to us and not the politicians.

 

[JustJulie]

How terribly, terribly disappointing that the Macon City Council would vote on such a controversial matter when it was NOT on its agenda--and, in fact, had been deliberately removed from the agenda.

It seems as if those pushing these unreasonable restrictions (and, yes, I consider smoking bans in bars and restaurants--regardless of the inclusion/exclusion of e-cigarettes--to be unreasonable) do so by using underhanded tactics. Those who voted in favor of the smoking ban were prepared--the American Heart Association and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention were there to argue in favor of a smoking ban, no doubt because they were let in on the "secret" that the ordinance was still going to be voted on.

I know I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. Surprised and disappointed.

 

[Placebo Effect]

City Council Web Replay: 4-19-2011 | cityofmacon.net

Watch Councilman J. Michael Cranford tear apart the ambiguities in this bill at Tuesday night's hearing.

He starts talking about e-cigarettes at 2 hours, 8 minutes, and then he addresses the provisions that allows you to smoke non-tobacco products at 2 hours, 11 minutes.

Apparently they had a discussion about e-cigs at Monday night's hearing that was prompted by Cranford. That hearing was not taped.

 

[Vocalek]

News Coverage: Smoking ban infringes upon rights - Opinion - Macon.com

AND

http://www.macon.com/2011/04/20/1531899/council-passes-smoking-rules.html

 

[Placebo Effect]

Macon smoking ban could be altered - or even vetoed - Local & State - Macon.com

One requested exemption is for electronic cigarettes, which produce a mist of nicotine and flavors for people to inhale.

Gregory Conley of Medford, N.J., with the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association, said most smoking bans exempt those since they don’t actually burn or produce any smoke. He exchanged e-mails with Councilwoman Lauren Benedict, asking that e-cigarettes be exempt; but Benedict replied that exempting those similar-looking devices would complicate enforcement. She added that e-cigarettes contain tobacco.

Conley said there’s no evidence e-cigarettes have caused enforcement problems elsewhere and that they don’t contain tobacco at all.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sought to regulate e-cigarettes as medical devices, but in the face of a lawsuit from manufacturers announced this week that they would be regulated under the less-strict rules for tobacco products.

CASAA sent a letter to the Mayor today urging him to veto the bill.

 

[Placebo Effect]

The Mayor VETOED the bill.

Macon Mayor Vetoes Smoking Ban

Back to the drawing board. Hopefully this time they won't include e-cigarettes in the bill, but I wouldn't put much hope in that. We're going to have to fight this.

 

[Placebo Effect]

Smoking ordinance vetoed by mayor - Local & State - Macon.com

Gregory Conley, with the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association, welcomed the opportunity for more public discussion since it would allow lobbying for an exemption for electronic cigarettes. Those deliver a mist of nicotine and flavors for “smokers” to inhale, but they don’t actually burn or produce any smoke.

 

[DataPhreak]

Hey, Be sure to include people in Atlanta in this. It's not terribly far out of the way, and you'll have a bigger head count. Also Dave (i think that's his name) at Vaperite.com isn't terribly far away either. dataphreak at gmail dot com


Edit: Also, the guys at epipemods.com aren't too far away either.

 

[Tom09]

LARRY SCHLESINGER - Special to The Telegraph (Sunday, May. 01, 2011)

[...] I, for one, plan to cast my vote around the horseshoe this week to override the mayor’s veto of this landmark legislation [...].
Larry Schlesinger is a Macon City Councilman.

 

[Tom09]

Resurrected ordinance up for public hearing:

A public hearing will take place at Macon City Hall on Thursday, September 22 at 5:30pm.

Macon City Council committee tables smoking ordinance, deals with roach issue - Local & State - Macon.com
Macon Council to Hold Hearing on Smoking Ordinance | Video | 13wmaz.com
FOX FOCUS: Macon Smoke-Free Ordinance Up For Discussion | NewsCentralGA.com | Your Source for Local News | FOX24 & ABC16 | WGXA - Macon | Macon, Ga | Local News

Actually, I don’t know if the redrafted ordinance still includes the e-cig ban. An interested party may want to take a detailed look into this.

 

[Placebo Effect]

A Macon-area CASAA member should be attending tomorrow night. I e-mailed the writer for the Macon newspaper to ask if he knows if e-cigs are included. Considering the interaction that I had with one member who is on the committee examining the new ban, I would be shocked if they aren't included again.

The woman essentially said that the courts have found e-cigarettes to be "tobacco products," and so naturally that means they should be banned in public places. Of course, she doesn't advocate for banning smokeless or dissolvable tobacco.

 

[Vocalek]

The existing smoking ban is not about banning tobacco. It's about banning smoke.

 

[Placebo Effect]

They are again dishonestly including e-cigarettes in the definition of 'smoking,' all while allowing people to smoke shisha, cloves, and other non-tobacco products. Seriously?

http://www.breatheeasymacon.org/files/Ordinance.pdf

 

[Placebo Effect]

Yep, e-cigarettes are dishonestly included in the definition of "smoking," yet the resolution still permits people to smoke cloves, shisha, or other non-tobacco products indoors.

 

[Placebo Effect]

Public hearing (before it likely gets introduced in a committee) was last night.

Smoking ordinance has people at odds at public hearing - Politics - Macon.com

Deryl Dantzler, a professor at Mercer University’s law school, said she wouldn’t offer her opinion on the ordinance as a whole -- but she asked for electronic cigarettes to be exempted. They don’t emit smoke but deliver a dose of nicotine.

She said she smoked for more than 50 years and couldn’t quit until she found e-cigarettes.

“If we’re concerned about smoke, we should also be concerned about the people who are trying to quit smoking,” Dantzler said. When she’d previously asked why e-cigarettes were not exempt, she was just told it was an “enforcement issue” because they resemble real cigarettes, she said. Dantzler held up several different e-cigarettes to show that many don’t look like cigarettes at all.

 

[DC2]

Thank you Professor Dantzler, wherever you are.
I don't live in Georgia, or anywhere near Georgia, but I know exactly what can happen.

Anywhere these kinds of ordinances get passed, it makes it more likely one will come to a city, county, or state near you.
Or even the one you are in.

 

[Vocalek]

Thank you Professor Dantzler, wherever you are.
I don't live in Georgia, or anywhere near Georgia, but I know exactly what can happen.

Anywhere these kinds of ordinances get passed, it makes it more likely one will come to a city, county, or state near you.
Or even the one you are in.

What he said!

 

[Placebo Effect]

Smoking ordinance fizzles in Macon city committee - Local & State - Macon.com

A revised ordinance against smoking in restaurants, bars and other places failed to make it through the Public Safety Committee.

. . .

An earlier version of the ordinance passed council in April but was vetoed by Mayor Robert Reichert. Several changes had been made in the new version, including allowing smoking in city parks except around playgrounds and seating areas. The ordinance still would not exempt electronic cigarettes, which don’t release any smoke, but would allow smoking of non-tobacco products such as cloves.

 

[Placebo Effect]

Macon Smoking Ban Hits Another Setback

They're essentially looking to ram it through in any way possible. They passed it last time around by one vote, only for the Mayor to veto it because it was overbroad.

 

[Placebo Effect]

This ban attempt may be finished for the time being.

Smoking ordinance fails to get support in Macon council - Local & State - Macon.com