Statewide Smoking/Vaping Ban - Bill introduced Jan 6

[TWolf]

Sounds like things are heating up here... and fast! RooksGambit pointed out this info to me from another forum. He's getting material together that can presented.

Unfortunately, I won't be of much help on this one... other then getting the ball rolling. Can't really say much more then that at the moment though. (Promise I'll clue you in soon!) Won't even be able to set up this month's meeting, but will see if someone else will. Would be a great opportunity to rally the troops!

Kentucky Legislature web page

HB 193/LM (BR 417) - S. Westrom, D. Watkins
AN ACT prohibiting smoking in all public places and places of employment.[...]
Jan 6-introduced in House

Direct link to text HB 193

(17) "Smoke" or "smoking" means:
(a) The carrying, smoking, burning, inhaling, or exhaling of any kind of heated or lighted cigar, cigarette, hookah, lighted pipe, plant material intended for inhalation, or any other lighted smoking equipment;
(b) The use of an e-cigarette which creates a vapor, in any manner or in any form; and
(c) The use of any oral smoking device for the purpose of circumventing the prohibition of smoking in Section 3 of this Act; [...]

some related news reports on the smoking ban:
Kentucky Politics » Bill would regulate indoor smoking statewide | Kentucky Enquirer | nky.Com
Statewide smoking ban sought in Kentucky | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
Smouldering debate over smoking bans in Kentucky set to re-ignite
Proposed Statewide Smoking Ban
Smoking ban bill introduced in Ky. legislature - StamfordAdvocate
Group says majority of KY voters support state smoking ban, but candidates are split

 

[RooksGambit]

Alright, guys. I see 46 vapers as members of this group. There is zero reason we can't make a strong representation at the relevent hearings. TWolf mentioned the next BG Vapers meet is in Lexington. I can't travel easily (no car), but I have a spot where I know we'll be welcome and we could meet. Would anyone be interested as using the next meet as a way to plan for any public hearings? We need to make it known that a random call to 500 potential voters as the basis for a poll that brought this ban about is NOT representative of us.

I'm open to any and all ideas. Post here or PM if you prefer. I've already begun compiling data on the relevent studies and information we might need. Time's come for us to stop whining and take part in our Legislative process. I'm going to need a lot of help, and we've got a lot of bad information and likely some good intentions gone bad that we need to combat. Who's with me, folks?

 

[TWolf]

I'll send PMs to all our members to make sure they're aware... When's a good time to meet?.... Might still be around to join you all one last time...

 

[TWolf]

Ok... PMs sent to all and a post on Vapor-stix facebook since they have a large KY following of their own. Most of their people are not involved in the forums, so I wanted to see if we could pull them into the fold as well. Time to rally the troops! If you all are members elsewhere, pass along the word as well.

 

[warbdan]

Just because a group of ...... says I can't do something doesn't mean I won't. I'd encourage all to think for themselves and vape EVERYWHERE. What are they really going to do? Fill the prisons with vapers.... I don't think so.

 

[RooksGambit]

No, but they can and will fine you into oblivion. Thankfully smoking is a citation and not a mis-demeanor, or after 3 repeat offenses it becomes a felony. Non-payment of fines is a jailable offense, though, and they quickly become ridiculous.

I agree with your sentiment, but feel it would be far more effective to tackle the issue head on and take it to our legislators.

 

[TWolf]

They are including all places of employment in this. I know our new plant in MS is going smoke and vape free. You'll have to leave the property to even vape there after Sept and will be fired after 3 offenses. Sounds like they're aiming for something similar statewide.

 

[ChrisKY]

You know - this is ridiculous! They wanted us to quit smoking... OK we did, Now its vaping and Nic... WHERE is the caffeine or any of the other addictive substances that are ingested daily? Have you noticed that most insurance policies now ask if you are a Nic user instead of smoker or tobacco user? Just caught that one on my last open enrollment.

 

[Darkwitless]

WOW! Thanks for PMing me. I knew about the smoking ban - but have been sitting here smug in my vapeness.

Warban - that's a nice sentiment - but wouldn't it make more sense to protect your legal right to vape vs pushing the boundary of legality?

Once made illegal it will be twice the fight to reverse. Banning the act of Vaping in public is a LEAP into making the purchase of materials illegal. Don't fool yourself: The Nanny State is knocking on the door to save us from ourselves. IMO rallying the troops and educating the Legislature will be "simpler" in the long run than taking ................... Not to mention less expensive!



Reversing laws in the "sin" category rarely happens in this day and age.

 

[warbdan]

I emailed each of the Representatives at the top of the page. The government has to stop trampling all over The Constitution.

 

[Vocalek]

Hi folks. Darkwitless sent me a PM to let me know that this group was looking for some guidance on how to fight this proposed ban.

1. Personal contact with your elected official. Each of you has state legislators dependent on your votes. That would be the Representative for your district, plus a Senator or two. Each of these folks has a local office. Phone and ask for a face-to-face meeting. Bring your equipment. Tell your personal story. Relate how passage of this bill will be harmful to former smokers like you who rely on e-cigarettes to maintain their smoke-free status.

2. Letters to the editor. Every time a local TV Station, Radio Station, Newspaper, or Magazine mentions "smoking", "clean air", "or e-cigarettes," compose a letter to the editor of that medium.

3. Become a larger group. Talk to your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers who are not vapors, but who know your story. Ask them to spread the word that folks do not use these to "defy the law". They use them to save their own lives and preserve the health of those around them. See if some of them would be willing to talk to their own legislators about the situation.

4. Educate yourselves. The CASAA.org web site contains a multitude of information. The more you know, the better off your will be when explaining vaping to the uninitated. Particular pieces that might come in handy for printing and distribution:

Steal freely from this document in composing letters to the editor:

http://www.casaa.org/files/Are Electronic Cigarettes Safe.pdf

Buy some tri-fold brochure paper and print copies of the brochure. Page 1 goes on one side and Page 2 on the other:

http://www.casaa.org/files/CASAA-Ecig-TriFold-Brochure.pdf

This 17-page packet was put together as a handout for legislators, but it may be too daunting for those with a short attention span. At any rate, there are some fabulous facts along with the documented sources for them in this packet:

http://www.casaa.org/files/CASAA_Legislative_Packet_Regarding_Indoor_Bans_Web.pdf

The wording of this legislation leads me to believe that it was triggered by reading the "Policy Guidelines" distributed by the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, American Heart Association, and Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids. Their document contains a huge amount of disinformation. CASAA has written a "Position Statement" that addresses each of the lies in their document:

http://www.casaa.org/files/CASAA Position Statement.pdf

The above is a one-page document that I would suggest printing out and sending as an attachment to a snail mail to the legislators that you can't get a face-to-face meeting with or to hand to those that you do meet in person.

The CASAA Medical Infograph is a powerful visual representation regarding the health effects of vaping versus smoking. Give one to your doctor. Use it in your meetings:

http://www.casaa.org/files/CASAA Medical infograph(4).pdf

Order some 2-sided CASAA business cards to carry with you at all times and hand out. They are very inexpensive, as little as 50 for $1.95. CASAA Business Cards - Root - CASAA

To get a good idea of how electronic cigarettes fit into the overall framework of Tobacco Harm Reduction as a "Smoking Replacement Product", read through the 3-page Harm Reduction section on CASAA: Casaa.org - Harm Reduction

Another wonderful resource is the Tobacco Harm Reduction site: http://tobaccoharmreduction.org/ Try to take a look at all the pages listed under FAQ on the left side of the home screen.

You might want to keep an eye on the Campaigning section of ECF to keep up to date on posted news stories and Calls to Action. Campaigning

Wecome to the world of Activism.

Elaine Keller, Vice President
The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association
CASAA | The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association

P.S. - Start now. Don't wait until there are public hearings. By then, a lot of legislators already have their minds made up. Sometimes they pass these things without holding public hearings.

 

[Vocalek]

Addendum: We have found that face to face, snail mail, and faxes have a much larger impact than emails. Sometimes email is all you can do, but try the other communication methods first if you can.

 

[TWolf]

Thanks, Vocalek! Those links will save us a lot of time. Really appreciate all the time and effort put into developing these materials for us, too.

 

[Vocalek]

Just so you understand what we are up against, here is a copy of the document distributed across the country to local chapters of the ALA, AHA, ACS, and CTFK.

View attachment Final+Policy+Guidance+on+E-Cigarettes+4-7-10.pdf

 

[RooksGambit]

Thanks for all the helpful advice, Elaine.

 

[Nikhil]

So absurd, tossing "e-cigarette" into legislation so it passes under the radar. I'll do whatever I can to talk to whoever can make a difference. Good find Rook, and thanks for the heads up TWolf.

Good to see you again Vocalek, and thanks on behalf of everyone who vapes for your immense contributions. Amazing that Eissenberg is the only citation and he himself came to this forum and admitted that the study was flawed (if I recall correctly - though it was while ago).

 

[TWolf]

So... When shall we meet... Satudays still work best for everyone?.... Rook if you'll get me the where I can PM everyone all the details too...

 

[RooksGambit]

I was thinking the Chilis on the corner of Man O' War and Nicholasville Rd. I used to work there, and the staff is familiar with and accepting of, vapers.

If we do this on this coming Saturday, how early could everyone come? I have a work-related obligation later in the evening which I really need to attend. But this is very important to me, and want to make sure we begin developing a good offense as regards the ban.

 

[TWolf]

I was thinking the Chilis on the corner of Man O' War and Nicholasville Rd. I used to work there, and the staff is familiar with and accepting of, vapers.

If we do this on this coming Saturday, how early could everyone come? I have a work-related obligation later in the evening which I really need to attend. But this is very important to me, and want to make sure we begin developing a good offense as regards the ban.

I can be there anytime... how early are you thinking?... I can send out emails with the location and ask people to check into the thread if they're coming... we could always start early and if some have to come a little later that's ok... most of the time we've gotten together, four or five hours pass in a blink before we start wrapping it up...

also, might want to call them first since sounds like we're going to have quite a few vapers descend upon them...

 

[frequentj]

Thanks so much for bringing this to our attention. I e-mailed every representative listed in the link you provided. For those of you who might not have time on your hands to type something up, I'll copy the letter I send each of them here. Of course, in no way am I trying to imply my letter is great, but if you like, feel free to copy it to paste in your own letter. Any improvements/corrections also appreciated. Here goes:

Dear <insert name of rep here>,

My name is Lynda Abshear. I am thirty-seven years old and have lived in Kentucky all my life. For the past seventeen years, I have been a smoker, despite the harm to my health, the health of those around me, and my finances. Recently, I have discovered the joys of electronic cigarettes. The name e-cigarette is a bit of a misnomer, as they contain no tobacco, and no combustion takes place. The only ingredients in an e-cigarette (or personal vaporizer as I like to call them) are water, propylene glycol and/or vegetable glycerin, food-grade flavorings, and sometimes nicotine. As someone who has successfully used a personal vaporizer to quit smoking traditional (or "analog" cigarettes), I am deeply concerned about the proposed ban on personal vaporizers. As I'm sure you know, smoking is a huge concern in Kentucky, and I feel that any device that will help people receive the nicotine they crave without hurting themselves or those around them with tar and four thousand plus other chemicals (the effects of which many are unknown) can only be a good thing. Combine that with the fact that vaporizing is considerably cheaper than smoking analog cigarettes, and you have a nicotine delivery system that is superior to smoking analogs in every way.

I see no logical reason to ban the use of personal vapors. I would highly recommend reading this article Ecigarette mist harmless, inhaled or exhaled before making up your mind. Also, as a former smoker, if I saw someone at a restaurant smoking what I thought was a cigarette, I am intelligent enough to know that smoking is not allowed inside, regarldess of whether or not I think someone else is doing it. To imply that personal vaporizers would encourage the breaking of rules is insulting to the intelligence of a smoker.

That brings me to my final point. Smokers are very often treated as second-class citizens. We are used to huddling outside under an awning trying to stay out of the rain, standing in the corner trying to light a cigarette in the wind, and shivering so badly from the cold it is impossible to speak. I've tried the nicotine gum, patches, cold turky, etc., but none of those have worked for me. Now I've found a method that has. Is the government trying to send a message that you should quit smoking, but only on terms they agree with? If someone is using the FDA approved Nicotrol personal inhaler device, shouldn't they also be banished to the "smoking" area by the same logic as those who would have people using personal vaporizers banned? After all, they are also inhaling nicotine. The only difference is they are not breathing out a visible vapor. For that matter, shouldn't people who are drinking alcohol be made to sit it a special "drinking section."? I'm allergic to alchol (and a lot of people I know do not like the smell), so when someone is drinking, they are breathing out alcohol fumes. True, I can't get drunk off these fumes, but they exist, so I'm wondering why no ban is in place to keep drinkers from exhaling in my area.

Please use your common sense and compassion and vote NO on the proposed ban against electronic cigarettes.

Sincerely,



Lynda Abshear
STREET ADDRESS
CITY AND ZIP CODE
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