Now is the Time To Act! I am Serious! **updated**

[LaceyUnderall]

First things first. My name is Joanna Watt. I am one of the owners of Instead and all of my family and friends here on the forum know me as "Lacey".

As many of you know several suppliers got together this past weekend to form an association and we had planned to make a formal statement. However, tonight’s call warrants us to skip past the formalities and rally everyone on this forum to do what needs to be done. This is not a “What can you do thread” This is a “WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO”.

It has come to our attention that the FDA is taking a firmer stance on the electronic cigarette. This isn’t to say that it is banned or that it is illegal, it is only to say that they are becoming bolder in their actions at the border.

If you are interested in participating on a level that will make a difference, our sources are strongly suggesting that you contact the following people with letters sent certified mail, fax or via phone, with your testimonial on how the electronic cigarette has changed your life:

[Edit by SJ] Now with added fax, courtesy of Bill Godshall of Smokefree Pensylvania [/Edit]

Originally posted by Bill Godshall of Smokefree Pensylvania:

The problem with sending snail mail letters to Congress is that it can take 2-3 weeks before they receive it. Ever since the anthrax scare five or six years ago, all snail mail sent to Congress must go through secretive screening processes that slow down delivery. Faxed letters to Congress are best, as a staffer has to remove it from the fax machine, and is more likely to read it.

Senate Health Committee:

Democrats by Rank
Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), 202-224-5465 202-224-5128
Chairman
Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT) 202-224-2823 202-224-1083
Tom Harkin (D-IA) 202-224-3254 202-224-9369
Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) 202-224-4654 202-224-8858
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) 202-224-5521 202-224-2852
Patty Murray (D-WA) 202-224-2621 202-224-0238
Jack Reed (D-RI) 202-224-4642 202-224-4680
Bernie Sanders (I-VT) 202-224-5141 202-228-0776
Sherrod Brown (D-OH) 202-224-2315 202-224-6519
Robert P Casey, Jr (D-PA) 202-224-6324 202-228-0604
Kay Hagan (D-NC) 202-224-6342 202-228-2563
Jeff Merkley (D-OR) 202-224-3753 202-228-3997

Republicans by Rank
Michael Enzi (R-WY), 202-224-5375 202-224-6510
Ranking Member
Judd Gregg (R-NH) 202-224-3324 202-224-4952
Lamar Alexander (R-TN) 202-224-4944 202-228-3398
Richard Burr (R-NC) 202-224-3154 202-228-2981
Johnny Isakson (R-GA) 202-224-3643 202-228-0724
John McCain (R-AZ) 202-224-2235 202-228-2862
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) 202-224-6665 202-224-5301
Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) 202-224-5251 202-224-6331
Pat Roberts (R-KS) 202-224-4774 202-224-3514
Tom Coburn (R-OK) 202-224-5754 202-224-6008

Also, please contact your Senators and House Representatives! If you are unsure as to whom your elected officials are, please visit: Contact Elected Officials: USA.gov
Please remember that harsh words fall on deaf ears. Well written testimonials and concerns invoke action and if you want to be heard, keep your emotion on a level that can be felt and not taken as aggressive.

Call to Suppliers: Now is your time to get onboard. Please! Contact your customer list and let them know that they NEED to contact their officials. If you need to copy and paste this thread and mass email it, do it! Consumers, if you know you should be receiving an email from your supplier and you don’t: DEMAND TO KNOW WHY! Especially if they participate on this forum!

The petition that is floating around here has made it into an email list like no other and every day, new names are being added. If you haven’t signed this petition, please do so and include your testimonial there as well. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/keep-life-saving-electronic-cigarettes-available

The fight is on folks. Now is the time. If you want the right to choose an alternative to a known killer, start writing.

Originally Posted by OutWest View Post
Here's some addresses for the members of the Senate Health Committee. Some are from state election board candidate registrations, others are from various sources. And, of course, some addresses may have changed, so if the person is from your state, it might be best to double check the address.


Senate Health Committee:

Democrats by Rank

Edward Kennedy (MA)

56 Roland Street
Boston, MA 02129

Christopher Dodd (CT)

PO Box 51882
Washington, DC 20091

Tom Harkin (IA)

528 N. 43rd St.
Cumming, IA 50061

Barbara A. Mikulski (MD)

Brown's Wharf
1629 Thames St. Suite 400
Baltimore, MD 21231

Jeff Bingaman (NM)

5555 Montgomery NE, Suite 8
Albuquerque NM 87109

Patty Murray (WA)

PO Box 3662
Seattle, WA 98124

Jack Reed (RI)

1000 Chapel View Boulevard, Suite 290
Cranston, RI 02920

Bernard Sanders (I) (VT)

72 Killarney Drive
Burlington, VT 05402

Sherrod Brown (OH)

2625 E. Erie Ave.
Lorain, Ohio 44052

Robert P. Casey, Jr. (PA)

PO BOX 25311
PITTSBURGH, PA 15220

Kay Hagan (NC)

PO BOX 29103
GREENSBORO, NC 27429

Jeff Merkley (OR)

Residence:
1351 SE 114th Ave
Portland, Oregon 97216

Mailing Address:
PO Box 29136
Portland, Oregon 97296

Republicans by Rank

Michael B. Enzi (WY)

431 Circle Dr.
Gillette, WY 82716

Judd Gregg (NH)

1234 Ocean Blvd
Rye, NH 03870

Lamar Alexander (TN)

1453 West Millers Cove Rd.
Walland, TN 37886

Richard Burr (NC)

POB 5928
WINSTON SALEM, NC 27113

Johnny Isakson (GA)

One Overton Park
3625 Cumberland Boulevard, Suite 970
Atlanta, GA 30339

John McCain (AZ)

P.O. Box 16118
Arlington, VA 22215

Orrin G. Hatch (UT)

445 East 4500 South, #275
Salt Lake City, UT 84107

Lisa Murkowski (AK)

7510 L. Street, Suite 550
Anchorage, AK 99501

also:
PO Box 100847
Anchorage, AK 99510

Dr. Tom Coburn, M.D. (OK)

5408 Rolling Oaks Dr.
Muskogee, OK 74401

Pat Roberts (KS)

2309 Fairway Drive, Apt. B
Dodge City, KS 67801

 

[Bababooey]

What was "tonight's call"?

 

[LaceyUnderall]

Interested suppliers have been participating on conference calls for about 2 months now. We meet online twice a week to discuss the scope of the association. Over the past weekend, we all met in Chicago and formed the Electronic Cigarette Association - More details and formal announcement to follow.

HOWEVER - This bit of news came up tonight in our call with Bill Godshall from SmokeFree PA (tobaccofree.org) and well, it is imperative that we act.

 

[skyrl]

I think this is a great idea, and I am 100% for it!

Eddie

 

[Liberate_Yourself]

This is definitely FOR REAL guys. The more you can do, the more of a chance we have to continue vaping. Please join-in and help us get the word out!

 

[fenez]

What did he say in the phone call?

 

[halopunker]

Agreed, Warming up the printer as we speak.

 

[Bababooey]

Is this the reason so many shipments are not coming in for the dealers?

 

[nycsublimegirl]

This is all for real. This is a call to action to let your voices truly be heard.

Organization of our cause is key, the suppliers are joining together and acting and we ask you as consumers to get your opinions to those who make the decisions!

 

[LaceyUnderall]

He suggested we act as the Senate is getting ready to talk and discuss the Waxman Bill. The Kennedy Bill is also going to make it's presence.

Now is the time to get the officials to make amendments and we must state our case!

Our customer list was just emailed.

 

[Terraphon]

uhm...I'll ask the question that's been asked a couple of times already...

What happened on this "call" that put a bee in your collective bonnets all of a sudden?

What news is there that we should be aware of?

I'd like to think that this isn't just a scare tactic to increase sales but we consumers need to know what's going on if we're to "act".

 

[Steph2323]

He suggested we act as the Senate is getting ready to talk and discuss the Waxman Bill. The Kennedy Bill is also going to make it's presence.

Now is the time to get the officials to make amendments and we must state our case!

Our customer list was just emailed.

Thanks SO much for the head's up. I pledge to write to each member of the committee, as well as my reps from Pa. Who is with me on this?
Stephanie

 

[LaceyUnderall]

This is not a scare tactic.

This is essentially a time issue. Yes. More and more suppliers are reporting their items getting stopped. Some of us still are yet to get stuff stopped.

However, what is most important is that it has been stressed to us that time is of the essence due to the fact that the Senate is going to have Kennedy presenting his tobacco bill and it appears since this will be his last time around the bases, they want to give him his final horah.

This is the time to act. We all talk about acting and this is it.

You know me well enough by now, hopefully, to know that this isn't a joke.

 

[Liberate_Yourself]

Thanks SO much for the head's up. I pledge to write to each member of the committee, as well as my reps from Pa. Who is with me on this?
Stephanie

Beautiful! This is the attitude we need from everyone!

 

[LaceyUnderall]

Thanks SO much for the head's up. I pledge to write to each member of the committee, as well as my reps from Pa. Who is with me on this?
Stephanie

Thank you dearie... I figured you would be around

 

[applefr3ak]

This is totally and utterly 100% real.. NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT!! Seriously folks.. you have seen the shipments getting stopped, siezures etc.. Lots of suppliers losing money etc.. people not having stock to sell to you etc.. Seriously, you just think we are sitting around doing nothing? There is a REASON we dont have tons of stock a lot of the time! Please act sign petitions etc.. Do as much as possible!! Every little bit helps!

Jason

 

[skyrl]

True. Please help the cause.

 

[Terraphon]

Ok, so who's prepared to lobby congress and request an audience with the senate? I think that's what it's going to take to make a difference.

We need a representative...Someone that's educated, well spoken, well read and ready to do work. A disorganized letter writing / email campaign isn't likely to have a major impact on anything. This issue shouldn't be shotgunned, it should be surgically handled...

Personally, I think the suppliers should select one or two people as spokespersons for the cause and those people should begin collecting the data and support necessary to get this thing noticed. Those suppliers should be calling televisions, newspapers, radio stations and magazines. They should be getting the issue known to the general public and sending out a rallying cry to smokers and non-smokers alike. A few hundred people from ECF aren't going to make much of a dent but if you guys get the public behind the issue and make it as huge and as visible as possible then there's the possibility of seeing some positive change.

I've said this before and it seemed like nobody wanted to listen...Get the masses to speak and make sure people all over the country know what vaping is. Organize and make it happen.

 

[LaceyUnderall]

Terraphon-

We are already working through that and our presence on the hill will be quite strong. I am so sorry we cannot provide further details, we are still in the throws and many of us are working non-stop. There will be details as soon as they can be released. You have to trust in us that this is the action that needs to be taken and if we are going to do this, it needs to be organized.

Please, as consumers, what we need is for you to write. We are working on the PR angles, the hill angle etc. Everything is covered. What we NEED are the users to make their presence known and that a bill eliminating smokeless tobacco products would definitely impact your life in a negative way.

 

[srtga]

I'll do it. I contact my legislators all the time about their stupid .......


We're in TWO WARS with another one boiling over our southern border, the DOW has lost almost HALF its value in the past year, unemployment is 8.5% and climbing, one in 150 homes are in foreclosure in this country...

AND OUR GOVERNMENT MUST ACT SOON TO SAVE US FROM ELECTRIC CIGARETTES

Is it time to start shooting yet???