Massachusetts Ordinance - Review 4/22/14 Use Ban/Flavor Ban Local Alert

[CreepyLady]

There is a Call to Action for MA folks here: CASAA: Local Alert! Newton, Massachusetts Ordinance E-Cigarette Use Ban, Flavor Ban, Restrict Place of Sale, Increase Age of Purchase to 21

I used the CASAA data and compiled an email that can be copy/pasted with a few minor changes to personalize based upon CASAA information provided for this call to action.

Hope it will help out some of you who may want to take part but cannot spend the time composing such a lengthy message. There is a copy/paste email list on the link above at CASAA.org

Board of Aldermen,

As a Massachusetts citizen I support banning sales of e-cigarettes to minors, but OPPOSE banning e-cigarette use where smoking is prohibited, eliminating flavors, or otherwise restricting or discouraging the use of these potentially life-saving devices by adults.



E-Cigaretts have personally saved my life. After being an 18 year smoker I am approaching one year smoke free for the first time in my life. I now no longer consume even nicotine. My E-Cig saved me.


Banning e-cigarette use where smoking is prohibited actually works against the interests of genuine public health:

• Smoking bans are enacted to protect the public from the harm of secondhand smoke, but e-cigarettes have not been shown to cause harm to bystanders. In fact, all evidence to date shows that the low health risks associated with e-cigarettes are comparable to other smokeless nicotine products.
• The low risks of e-cigarettes is supported by research done by Dr. Siegel of Boston University, Dr. Eissenberg of Virginia Commonwealth, Dr Maciej L Goniewicz of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Dr. Laugesen of Health New Zealand, Dr. Igor Burstyn of Drexel University, and by the fact that the FDA testing, in spite of its press statement, failed to find harmful levels of carcinogens or toxic levels of any chemical in the vapor.
• A comprehensive review conducted by Dr. Igor Burstyn of Drexel University School of Public Health based on over 9,000 observations of e-cigarette liquid and vapor found "no apparent concern" for bystanders exposed to e-cigarette vapor, even under "worst case" assumptions about exposure.
• Electronic cigarette use is easy to distinguish from actual smoking. Although some e-cigarettes resemble real cigarettes, many do not. It is easy to tell when someone lights a cigarette from the smell of smoke. E-cigarette vapor is practically odorless, and generally any detectable odor is not unpleasant and smells nothing like smoke. Additionally, e-cigarette users can decide whether to release any vapor ("discreet vaping"). With so little evidence of use, enforcing use bans on electronic cigarettes would be nearly impossible.
• The ability to use electronic cigarettes in public spaces will actually improve public health by inspiring other smokers to switch. Surveys of thousands of users indicate that the majority of those who switch completely replace tobacco cigarettes with the electronic cigarettes, reducing their health risks by an estimated 99%.
• By switching to a smokeless product, you have greatly reduced your health risks.

'
Restricting flavors will remove a large portion of WHY E-cigarettes are effective for so many of us!!!!! Adults like and want these flavors and have the right to CHOOSE. This is no different than flavored alcohols - no one accuses "Bubblegum Vodka" of appealing to minors - it appeals to adults who may like the flavor of bubblegum.

• Flavors are part of what make e-cigarettes such a compelling and effective alternative for adults looking to distance themselves from smoking.
• While you appreciate concerns about keeping these products out of the hands of youth, the way to reduce youth use of this low-risk product is to enforce existing laws rather than create unnecessary legislation which seeks to make a product less palatable to adults, especially those adults using e-cigarettes as a low-risk alternative to smoking. Accordingly, the Board of Aldermen should not ban flavors and should not prohibit sales of low-risk e-cigarettes in venues simply because tobacco product sales are not permitted. Moreover, an exemption allowing e-cigarettes with characterizing flavors to only be sold in retail tobacco stores or retail nicotine delivery product stores still imposes an unwarranted restriction on adult access to these products.

Please check out the CASAA.org website, as well as the CASAA Research Library, for more information.





Sincerely,

 

[Kovertkow]

Unfortunately this is Massachusetts ... A star where a town banned plastic water bottles. Thank you for this form though, I will bring it to the attention of my state rep for my town. She is a friend and I don't see her being against vaping.

 

[CreepyLady]

Unfortunately this is Massachusetts ... A star where a town banned plastic water bottles. Thank you for this form though, I will bring it to the attention of my state rep for my town. She is a friend and I don't see her being against vaping.

I know and thanks!