when i called the governors office the day after it was passed, asking for information about what can i do since i had no clue about it. She admittedly stated ignorance is no excuse! Can we use this as well? If they are misinformed how can they just pass a bill stating you cant do this?
Unfortunately, people pleading ignorance after-the-fact is the last thing NJ politicians have to worry about. They got it passed. Its passing was based on a lot of powerful anti-tobacco lobbyists trying to protect their purse. Unfortunately that's the way things work in politics.
Of course the law does not state that you can't use this device, just that you can't use it in indoor public spaces.
Some states' intrenched financial interests, under the guise of "protecting the children" etc, panicked faster than others. NJ is on the bleeding edge of this panic.
Why, you ask? Have you ever driven down the Route 202 corridor between Flemington and Somerville? I did lots of times. I used to live there. The highway for some 8 to 10 miles is utterly flanked on both sides with huge glass towers of Pharmaceutical might. The NJ politicians are protecting those interests from the advent of the e-cig, which allows smokers to quit smoking real cigs far more easily and enjoyably than any patch or gum product created by those industries. Pharma Lobbyists Panic = Politicians Panic = Law Quickly Written Under Public Radar. 8-o
What we can hope for, as users of e-cigs, is that laws (or interpretations of laws by other gov't agencies) created by states to ban e-cig usage on such a broad scale will eventually be nullified and written out of law if the final ruling in the federal court case (Judge Leon) goes in our favor.
In the meantime, you can still enjoy your e-cig in the privacy of your home or on public streets. You can still protect your personal health.