Nearing disaster in New York - please take action NOW to prevent e-cigarette ban.

[DC2]

The first post in this thread says not to send emails, and yet you are all emailing.

 

[Happy Domino38]

The first post in this thread says not to send emails, and yet you are all emailing.

It doesn't say NOT to email, it just says that calls and faxes are preferable.

 

[UntamedRose]

DC2......Want me to call a New York representative with my California or my North Carolina Phone number??

 

[Gunjji]

That video is total bull....!!!! WTF does that &itch get her info saying theres "Carcinogens" in e-cigs... I dont know of anyone dying of e-cig cancer?

Not one person knew anything about ecigs except 1 idiot whos 11 year old nephews "Could" buy them.. HTF does he know.. Did they buy them? Im gonna have to say no to that and the .... just likes to hear his one voice!

Also.. there not marketed to help stop smoking, Ive only seen them as an alternative to smoking.


Im Sorry NY'ers.. I would hate to have those nimrods representing my state... But I probably have my own!

 

[JoeD4]

I find it interesting that one of the members who supports the bill is a smoker who has tried e cigarettes.

 

[yvilla]

We have received written assurances from Senator Duane's office that the bill will not be called for discussion/action at the tomorrow's Senate Health Committee meeting.

That means we have more time for people to continue with phone calls, letters, faxes, and emails. The more we inundate them with opposition messages the better.

Also, anyone who can plan to go to Albany for the date they DO schedule the bill at a Health Committee meeting (most likely a Tuesday), please stay tuned! You can also PM me, to be put on a list of people I will email/PM directly when we learn the bill is scheduled, to discuss coordination of transportation and/or car pooling from various areas of the state to Albany.

 

[Happy Domino38]

DC2......Want me to call a New York representative with my California or my North Carolina Phone number??

Or MY Toronto, Ontario CANADA one? I DID send them emails, BTW, and I did NOT tell them where I lived.

 

[markarich159]

Will try to help with emails as well. But , as was stated previously-especially in NY where it's $10 for a pack of Butts-, this is a TAX revenue issue, cut and dry. NYS is not going to allow anything that will jeopardize the ridiculously high "sin" tax revenue they cull off cigarettes. I just can't see a liberal tax and spend State like NY possibly inhibiting a revenue stream of that magnitude. Who knows though, it worked in CA. I don't know, however, what a pack of analogs costs in Cali and how much tax revenue is generated in comparison with NY.

P.S. What about contacting Governor Paterson's office. He has to sign the bill into law. He can veto it like Schwarzenegger.

 

[JayDar82]

Ok, So here is the update...

I got a call from governor paterson office, about setting up a meeting with New York State Department of Health, Division of Chronic Disease Prevention and Adult Health
Tobacco Control Program. The meeting will be in albany. I will be telling them about the Electronic Cigarette and why NYS should not ban them ect... That meeting will be happening on May 5th 2010.

Also I am waiting for a call back from my local senator to set up a meeting this week with him to go over the same material.



YES, Finally all the letters and calls I have been making are paying off!!!

Are there any vetted studies out there on the ecig that I can use as reference? Any new info / facts will help big time.

 

[shepp]

I'm still new to ecigs and no, i don't know all the details of all the legislation that are going on, or all the details to ecigs and juice and everything else...but i'm learning and researching and just trying to get all the information i can but i know i've quit smoking from using ecigs...even cut back most of my nicotine addictions as well. this is the the email i sent them, i hope i've said the right things, but even if i haven't, they shouldn't take away our rights to choose a healthier lifestyle...here's my email.


please do not ban ecigs...they have helped so many people quit smoking. i started using 18mg of nicotine and in 2 weeks was down to 0-mg. i've been a smoker for over 15 years and have tried to quit time and time again and this actually did the job. i understand that there are alot of tests that still need to be performed and regulations that should be put into effect when it comes to amounts of nicotine and "recipes" but by ban ecigs you are just helping the big tobacco companies win the fight. if you are going to ban ecigs, ban traditional cigarettes as well. they contain so many more harmful chemicals in them. i'm not opposed to regulating ecigs like traditional cigarettes have, but don't take away our right of choice. by doing so, you are taking away the ability of many to quit smoking. my grandmother recently passed away from lung cancer do to smoking cigarettes for over 30 years, which is what gave me that push to quit, i have a 5 year old son that i don't want to put him through the pain that i went through losing my grandmother to cancer. ecigs have helped so many people. instead of banning, start researching and doing tests on them. so many doctors in this country have recommended to patients to try them when patches, gums, pills and even inhalers haven't worked. i live in the state of Virginia, my family is from North Carolina, tobacco is a big industry in both states and have served my family well over the years, but if you are going to ban ecigs then traditional cigarettes need to be banned as well. not only are you taking our right of choice away, you are taking our health away too. tobacco is one of the largest cash crops in our country, but instead of trying to take that money away, help introduce those companies to nicotine extraction instead of combustion of tobacco. i understand the fear of minors becoming addicted due to flavor additives, but 99% of all suppliers do not and will not sell to minors. there are cigars out there that taste like sour apple, vanilla, creams...its not much different than ecigs except that you aren't inhaling all the other harmful chemicals. not to mention, by banning this source, you are only making criminals out of the ones that CHOOSE to stay healthy by using vapor instead of combustion. we have enough criminals in this country, we don't need to add more to that list which will happen if you take that choice away from americans. i know that me, being an american, has that "fighting nature" to fight for what i believe is right. thats how this country was founded. by fighting the people who oppressed us. there are millions of americans that have taken up ecigs as a form to make a better, healthier lifestyle for them. by doing what you are doing you are only making a mistake. i hate cigarettes, i've seen so much pain from smoking. i personally have a partially collapsed lung, my grandmother has passed from cancer, my whole family smokes...and we have all quit from ecigs. i understand that we are taking money away from these big tobacco companies, but put the research in and try to get these companies to learn how to extract the nicotine as many countrys have including the biggest in the world, China. i know that i'm one of many americans, but many americans feel the same way as i do. even the non-smokers in this country. so many people see ecigs as a step forward in making the united states tobacco COMBUSTION free...if the big tobacco companies look into extraction, we are not necessarily taking away from them financially, we are not taking food from their tables...but maybe creating even a larger market for them. DON'T BAN SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE THATS THE BIGGEST ISSUE HERE...RESEARCH BEFORE BANNING!!!!

 

[Poeia]

I snail mailed them all

Dear Senator Duane:

As a long-time supporter, I am urging you to oppose S7234, a bill that would make the sale of electronic cigarettes illegal in New York State. I fully support the provision prohibiting the sale of e-cigarettes to minors but, if this bill passes, you will have taken away the one tool that enabled me to quit smoking and to stay off cigarettes.

I smoked for almost 40 years. During Mitchell-Lama tenants’ association meetings you addressed, I was the one sitting near the door so I could slip out for a quick cigarette. Over the years I tried to quit cold turkey, with Smoke Enders, hypnosis, Wellbutrin, Nicorette and acupuncture. None of them worked for me. Five days after receiving an e-cigarette, I had my last cigarette. That was four months ago.

When anti-smoking regulations began, it was because secondhand smoke is a danger to non-smokers. With e-cigarettes there is no secondhand smoke. There is no smoke at all. There also is no flame, ash or litter. For the person “vaping” instead of smoking, there is also no carbon monoxide, tar or thousands of other carcinogens present in cigarettes. The American Association of Public Health Physicians estimates the risk of electronic cigarettes to be less than 1% of the risk from smoking tobacco ones.

The fear-mongers have decided that any nicotine is a gateway to smoking. For me, and others like me, getting nicotine through an e-cigarette is a gateway from smoking.

Please take a few minutes to view the video below and read some of the literature in the packet (available at http://.............../legislaturepacket.html) before you vote.

http://www.vapetube.com/video/519/Legislator-Educational-Video-on-electronic-cigarettes

You may also find published studies, articles and documents about electronic cigarettes and other smoke free alternatives at CASAA | The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

The ones to the others left off the long-time support and the reference to meetings I've attended.


Posted on the open.nysenate site

Minors should not be allowed to purchase products containing nicotine any more than they should have access to alcohol. To restrict access to them for adults who have been unable to quit by any other method (and I've tried them all during 40 years of smoking) is lunacy. I have been tobacco-free for 3 months thanks to e-cigarettes. I am not inhaling tar, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, arsenic or any of the thousands of other chemicals in cigarettes. I am also not exhaling those chemicals. There is no secondhand smoke with vaping because there is no smoke.

I know people who believe that lawmakers do not want smokers to quit, that you would prefer to vilify us while continuing to collect the excise taxes we paid. Others think it is the influence of Big Tobacco and Big Pharma (Chantrix, Wellbutrin, the patch and nicotine gum are very profitable businesses) that have set the FDA and some legislators against personal vaporizers (PVs). I hope these people are wrong.

I want to believe that it is a lack of information (or misinformation being deliberately spread) that has resulted in bills such as this. Opponents say that the liquid used in PVs contains nitrosamines. They don't say that it contains lower levels of these than the patch, nicotine gum, cheese or fish. They say that it contains antifreeze but conveniently forget to mention that it was found in only one sample of all the e-liquid tested by the FDA -- a quality control issue rather than an inherent problem with the product. They insist that using any nicotine product will result in people smoking, but everyone I know who vapes, does so to reduce or eliminate cigarettes from their lives. They forget to mention that the American Association of Public Health Physicians have estimated the risk of PVs to be less than 1% of the risk of cigarettes.

As of today, there are over 7,700 cigarettes that I did not smoke which I would have had I not found PVs. I urge you not to take electronic cigarettes away from me and my fellow New Yorkers.

And sent them all e-mails last night

Last week I wrote you a letter urging you to oppose S7234, which would make the sale of electronic cigarettes illegal in New York State. Because this issue is so vitally important to me, I decided to follow up with this e-mail rather than trust the Post Office to deliver my letter in time.

I smoked for almost 40 years. I tried everything from acupuncture to Wellbutrin to quit. None of them worked for me. Five days after receiving an e-cigarette, I had my last cigarette. That was four months ago.

I know some of the people writing to you will imply that the reason for this bill is to ensure that we continue to smoke, thereby appeasing Big Tobacco and Big Pharma (and maintaining the revenue from cigarette excise taxes.) I prefer to be less cynical. I want to believe the bill is the result of misinformation drowning out the reality.

Opponents to personal vaporizers say that the liquid contains nitrosamines but forget to mention that it contains a fraction of the amount found in cigarettes, the patch, nicotine gum, cheese and fish.

Opponents say that e-liquid has been found to contain antifreeze but omit the fact that, out of all the samples tested by the FDA, it was found in only one, in an extremely low concentration. This was clearly a problem with quality control by one manufacturer, not with the technology.

Opponents say that flavored e-liquid is designed to appeal to children but do not say that about flavored nicotine gum. I, for one, prefer the taste of banana nut bread to that of tobacco (and I wholeheartedly agree that minors should be prohibited from purchasing any nicotine products.)

Anti-smoking regulations are based on the danger of second-hand smoke. With electronic cigarettes, there is no such danger because there is no smoke. There is also no tar, carbon monoxide or thousands of other carcinogens present in cigarettes. The American Association of Public Health Physicians estimates the risk of electronic cigarettes to be less than 1% of the risk from smoking tobacco ones. While e-cigarettes may not be perfect, I choose to lessen the danger to my health by 99 percentage points. Please do not take that option from me.

Thank you for your time.

Unfortunately, I can't make it to Albany but i can call Senator Duane's office tomorrow. Is there anything else I can do?

 

[Poeia]

I snail mailed them all

Dear Senator Duane:

As a long-time supporter, I am urging you to oppose S7234, a bill that would make the sale of electronic cigarettes illegal in New York State. I fully support the provision prohibiting the sale of e-cigarettes to minors but, if this bill passes, you will have taken away the one tool that enabled me to quit smoking and to stay off cigarettes.

I smoked for almost 40 years. During Mitchell-Lama tenants’ association meetings you addressed, I was the one sitting near the door so I could slip out for a quick cigarette. Over the years I tried to quit cold turkey, with Smoke Enders, hypnosis, Wellbutrin, Nicorette and acupuncture. None of them worked for me. Five days after receiving an e-cigarette, I had my last cigarette. That was four months ago.

When anti-smoking regulations began, it was because secondhand smoke is a danger to non-smokers. With e-cigarettes there is no secondhand smoke. There is no smoke at all. There also is no flame, ash or litter. For the person “vaping” instead of smoking, there is also no carbon monoxide, tar or thousands of other carcinogens present in cigarettes. The American Association of Public Health Physicians estimates the risk of electronic cigarettes to be less than 1% of the risk from smoking tobacco ones.

The fear-mongers have decided that any nicotine is a gateway to smoking. For me, and others like me, getting nicotine through an e-cigarette is a gateway from smoking.

Please take a few minutes to view the video below and read some of the literature in the packet (available at http://.............../legislaturepacket.html) before you vote.

http://www.vapetube.com/video/519/Legislator-Educational-Video-on-electronic-cigarettes

You may also find published studies, articles and documents about electronic cigarettes and other smoke free alternatives at CASAA | The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

The ones to the others left off the long-time support and the reference to meetings I've attended.


Posted on the open.nysenate site

Minors should not be allowed to purchase products containing nicotine any more than they should have access to alcohol. To restrict access to them for adults who have been unable to quit by any other method (and I've tried them all during 40 years of smoking) is lunacy. I have been tobacco-free for 3 months thanks to e-cigarettes. I am not inhaling tar, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, arsenic or any of the thousands of other chemicals in cigarettes. I am also not exhaling those chemicals. There is no secondhand smoke with vaping because there is no smoke.

I know people who believe that lawmakers do not want smokers to quit, that you would prefer to vilify us while continuing to collect the excise taxes we paid. Others think it is the influence of Big Tobacco and Big Pharma (Chantrix, Wellbutrin, the patch and nicotine gum are very profitable businesses) that have set the FDA and some legislators against personal vaporizers (PVs). I hope these people are wrong.

I want to believe that it is a lack of information (or misinformation being deliberately spread) that has resulted in bills such as this. Opponents say that the liquid used in PVs contains nitrosamines. They don't say that it contains lower levels of these than the patch, nicotine gum, cheese or fish. They say that it contains antifreeze but conveniently forget to mention that it was found in only one sample of all the e-liquid tested by the FDA -- a quality control issue rather than an inherent problem with the product. They insist that using any nicotine product will result in people smoking, but everyone I know who vapes, does so to reduce or eliminate cigarettes from their lives. They forget to mention that the American Association of Public Health Physicians have estimated the risk of PVs to be less than 1% of the risk of cigarettes.

As of today, there are over 7,700 cigarettes that I did not smoke which I would have had I not found PVs. I urge you not to take electronic cigarettes away from me and my fellow New Yorkers.

And sent them all e-mails last night

Last week I wrote you a letter urging you to oppose S7234, which would make the sale of electronic cigarettes illegal in New York State. Because this issue is so vitally important to me, I decided to follow up with this e-mail rather than trust the Post Office to deliver my letter in time.

I smoked for almost 40 years. I tried everything from acupuncture to Wellbutrin to quit. None of them worked for me. Five days after receiving an e-cigarette, I had my last cigarette. That was four months ago.

I know some of the people writing to you will imply that the reason for this bill is to ensure that we continue to smoke, thereby appeasing Big Tobacco and Big Pharma (and maintaining the revenue from cigarette excise taxes.) I prefer to be less cynical. I want to believe the bill is the result of misinformation drowning out the reality.

Opponents to personal vaporizers say that the liquid contains nitrosamines but forget to mention that it contains a fraction of the amount found in cigarettes, the patch, nicotine gum, cheese and fish.

Opponents say that e-liquid has been found to contain antifreeze but omit the fact that, out of all the samples tested by the FDA, it was found in only one, in an extremely low concentration. This was clearly a problem with quality control by one manufacturer, not with the technology.

Opponents say that flavored e-liquid is designed to appeal to children but do not say that about flavored nicotine gum. I, for one, prefer the taste of banana nut bread to that of tobacco (and I wholeheartedly agree that minors should be prohibited from purchasing any nicotine products.)

Anti-smoking regulations are based on the danger of second-hand smoke. With electronic cigarettes, there is no such danger because there is no smoke. There is also no tar, carbon monoxide or thousands of other carcinogens present in cigarettes. The American Association of Public Health Physicians estimates the risk of electronic cigarettes to be less than 1% of the risk from smoking tobacco ones. While e-cigarettes may not be perfect, I choose to lessen the danger to my health by 99 percentage points. Please do not take that option from me.

Thank you for your time.

Unfortunately, I can't make it to Albany but I can call Senator Duane's office tomorrow. Is there anything else I can do?

 

[Happy Domino38]

Way to go guys, TRUST ME, we're ALL rooting for you and our fingers are crossed!!!

 

[ACM]

Be sure to send letters and emails to Gov. David Patterson. For this bill to pass into NYS law, I believe he has to sign it. A similar bill last year was vetoed in California by Gov. Schwarzenegger. I suspect getting the governor on our side will be the only chance we have at defeating this.

The video on page 1 of this thread makes it clear that few in the NYS Assembly really understand the e-cig. The idiot assemblywoman who, I believe, authored this bill is proof of that. She states as fact that mall kiosks sell e-cigs to minors (not true) and that e-cigs were tested by the FDA and found to contain carcinogens (also not true - they contain the same byproduct of nicotine as Nicorette and the patch, as well as cigarettes, but at SIGNIFICANTLY lower levels so as to essentially be a non-concern.)

We must educate the governor. It's easier to make a point to one man rather than try to convince a bunch of sheep that they are making a very important decision based on lies, misinformation, and ignorance.

I'll send letters to the NYS Senate anyway - what harm could that do? But I think, now, the governor is our only hope.

In the meantime, STOCK UP!!!

 

[yanks21]

It wouldn't surprise me if most of the reps were solely driven by terminology in their vote. After all, 'cigarette' is still an evil word whichever context it may be used in.

I agree with you solaar - I have discussed many times on these forums the importance of semantics in politics these days.

Oftentimes polls are taken and the persons participating are asked a question then the same exact question is asked using different terminology and the answer of the participant changes.

 

[yanks21]

Im Sorry NY'ers.. I would hate to have those nimrods representing my state... But I probably have my own!

Um you do: e-cigs were recently included in the New Jersey smoking ban. Any place you cannot smoke a cigarette in NJ you cannot vape. It's the LAW.

 

[r8ross]

I don't know if anybody noticed, but up to today the Senate bill didn't officially have a sponsor. Senator Klein's name is now in that spot.

 

[yvilla]

I don't know if anybody noticed, but up to today the Senate bill didn't officially have a sponsor. Senator Klein's name is now in that spot.

Ross, Klein's name has been there as sponsor for quite some time. I know for sure he was listed as the Senate sponsor at least in late March, when I sent my first round of letters to Senators on the Health Committee.

Maybe it just wasn't listed on the page you looked at, but may have been on whatever page I looked at?

 

[JayDar82]

Sources say that NYS will rush the ban ecig through the senate by the end of the week. CONTACT UR REP!!!

 

[MechTechVpr]

That video literally made me sick ... I made my cat jump off the sofa - I yelled so loudly at my computer (wont repeat what I said...to profane for public) ... I have little hope it will help but I am sending all the emails ...those people are just to stupid to listen to reason ..if they listen (read the emails) at all. I live in PA and we are close enough that this ban will undoubtedly have our legislators considering the same action ...Im sure my representatives are no more reasonable or public conscious than the NYers ... I hope all you NY resident vapers can get to the meetings (if they dont sneak the vote in the back door...which is what Im betting on). I think the only way to fight this NY ban is in person ...like they did in Illinois. Good Luck NY ... we are all rooting for you!!!