Oklahoma law approved - Sales to minors and taxes

[okcodemonkey]

I really hope Oklahoma get's this right, and have emailed anyone I can about it. As an Oklahoman that recently spent 4 years in Texas and just moved back, I can't tell you how happy I was to go to a bar in Oklahoma and see about 50% of the people using ecigs. I never saw that in Houston. Had to go to a vape meet to meet other vapers. Oklahoma has always been on the list of states with a high rate of smoking. To see so many trying to find a way to break the habit and if nothing else find a safer alternative I was ecstatic! Hopefully the government doesn't screw this up and send us all back to the stinkies. We just have to keep voicing our concerns and hoping that we are heard!

 

[Placebo Effect]

Any news? I sent e-mails to everyone on the legislators list; but, only got 2 auto-replies. Then, I had a death in the family; and, I haven't been on-line much. My thought is, if I was in Rob Johnson's district, I'd be trying to organize a recall petition based upon his disregard for the health and well-being of the residents of his district; and, his use of such unethical means to try to resurrect this big-tobacco and big-pharma based piece of garbage. As an added benefit, it might also "get the attention of" other legislators who think that getting bad bills attached to unrelated bills is a somehow ethical means of circumventing the legislative process...

There may be some very good news coming for e-cigarettes and harm reduction in the next few days / week. "May" being the keyword.

 

[zoiDman]

There may be some very good news coming for e-cigarettes and harm reduction in the next few days / week. "May" being the keyword.

Perhaps something on the Federal Level?

 

[Randy Zombi]

I live in Oklahoma and have been following this bill, It look like the senate amendments have been rejected by the house, and now they are going to confer on it. this is a positive thing, there may actually be a light at the end of the tunnel for Oklahoma vapers!!

 

[Ratman]

I live in Oklahoma and have been following this bill, It look like the senate amendments have been rejected by the house, and now they are going to confer on it. this is a positive thing, there may actually be a light at the end of the tunnel for Oklahoma vapers!!

I also live in OK and would love to see more info on your comment regarding the house rejection. I have not been able to locate anything on it myself. I was under the impression it was not supposed to come before the house till the end of the month.

 

[RamShot Rowdy]

So what happened with this legislation? I've been away from ECF for a long while, just got an e-mail about this and fired off an e-mail to OK House members. Any updates?

David

 

[Placebo Effect]

So what happened with this legislation? I've been away from ECF for a long while, just got an e-mail about this and fired off an e-mail to OK House members. Any updates?

David

It's still hanging around while negotiations play out. We should have an update soon.

 

[Barley]

Well I hope it's not to late as I just sent email to my House rep. Of course I reminded him that he knocked on my door seeking my support. That's when I learned political hopefuls can purchase a list of who votes and how often. Yes the wife and I show up to vote on everything they throw at us.

 

[Placebo Effect]

GREAT NEWS

Oklahoma HB 2097 has come out of the House and Senate Conference Committees, and the new bill does NOT tax e-cigarettes, does NOT require licenses to sell e-cigarettes, and does NOT criminalize consumers who purchase e-cigarettes online.

Additionally, the bill contains a dramatic TAX CUT for snus.

CASAA: Call to Action! SUPPORT New Version of Oklahoma Bill to Ban E-Cigarette Sales to Minors - HB 2097 (UPDATED)

 

[Ratman]

This is a major reversal that I seriously wonder if the CASAA website has been hacked?? Incredible news if true though.

 

[supertrunker]

The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Twist Of The Knife - YouTube

T

 

[xbassman]

This is GREAT news!

I'll send my rep an e-mail this weekend.
I am sure she will support the legislation now that the tobacco company additions are removed.

 

[Placebo Effect]

This is a major reversal that I seriously wonder if the CASAA website has been hacked?? Incredible news if true though.

Haha, I assure you that our website has not been hacked.

Since I made this post I've gotten word that the Governor of Oklahoma may veto this bill due to the snus portion. We'll be updating the CTA to include Governor Fallin's phone number. Please make sure to call her office as well and encourage her to sign HB 2097 if it passes.

 

[stressmama]

Will be e-mailing and calling my Rep, Senator and Governor Fallin. Thanks for keeping us updated!

Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Placebo Effect]

Unfortunately, Conference Committee Substitute for HB 2097 failed to pass today by a vote of 29-66, with 6 not voting. The whole thing must have taken 2 1/2, 3 hours, as many reps (mostly Democrats, but a few Republicans) stood up and just railed against this bill because of the support it has from the tobacco industry.

Of the approximately 30 Democrats in the House, only 3 voted for HB 2097: Joe Dorman (Rush Springs), R.C. Pruitt (Antlers), and Emily Virgin (Norman). Republican votes were about half and half.

The House voted to send the bill back to conference with the instruction to amend the bill so that it only bans sales of vapor products and tobacco-derived products to minors. This won't happen until 2014 though.

Despite the disappointment, there is some good news

- The failure of HB 2097 changes nothing regarding the current status of e-cigarettes and their ability to be sold to adult consumers in Oklahoma.
- Virtually all of the opposition to HB 2097 came because of the tax cut on snus. It was just too much for them, especially with the heavy lobbying by the Cancer, Lung, and Heart groups.
- Additionally, there was a lot of ill will about the procedure this bill took. Remember, we killed SB 802 over a month ago when it was a bad bill, and this excellent second version did not go through the typical legislative process. If I was in their position, not knowing everything I do about harm reduction, I may have been a bit peeved as well.
- I don't think a single legislator said a bad word about e-cigarettes. One rep, either Dank or Shelton, read a quote from a letter saying that there is no proof e-cigarettes or smokeless tobacco are effective quit aids. Rep. Jackson, who deserves a big round of applause for his usually cogent defense of the bill on the House floor, then proceeded to read quotes from this study Elsevier
- RJR learned a lot from this fight. Not enough to necessarily give up on their quest to get small taxes placed on e-cigarettes (as evidenced by South Carolina), but they now know that the same vapers who have been very successful in batting back nannies can also mobilize effectively to fight the tobacco industry

 

[zoiDman]

According to wikipedia Nabisco is the parent company but it is complicated. They keep their money offshore so they don't pay taxes. Going to stop researching now so I don't end up in a rage, but don't buy Nabisco is a small thing you can do. Looks like their E-Cig will be called "Vuse".

It is Very Complicated.

Reynolds American - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also, here is a Good Read.

Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[AgentAnia]

Thank you for the update, Greg! I hadn't seen Dr. Siegel's survey report, so thanks for including that too.

 

[Strangebrew]

R.J. Reynolds manufactures and markets Camel Snus, a modern, smoke-free tobacco product that does not require spitting. Camel Snus comes in a small, convenient pouch, 15 pouches per tin container.

 

[Strangebrew]

R.J. Reynolds manufactures and markets Camel Snus, a modern, smoke-free tobacco product that does not require spitting. Camel Snus comes in a small, convenient pouch, 15 pouches per tin container.

Do not buy!

 

[5150sick]

Actually, the reason why its banned for sale to minors (same as here in OK) is because spray paint is used for huffing. This is where they spray a bunch of paint into a bag then inhale the fumes for a quick high.

For some reason (i do hot know what the chemistry is) a long time homeless paint huffer told me that only the gold and silver spray paints get them high. I was told this as the guy who lived behind the local home depot was outside trying to get people to go into the store and buy him some because they know he's a huffer and will no longer sell to him. I overheard him as he sent some young guy (19 or 20 years old) (the deal was homeless man buys kid beer, kid buys homeless man spray paint! quite sad) into the store. I asked the homeless man "why silver or gold?" in which he replied "they are the only ones that get you high." I try to learn something new every day and on this day it happened to involve this subject.