Unelected Westiminter (MA) BOH shuts down public hearing on proposed tobacco sales ban, blames the public

[Bill Godshall]

Wow.

I think the huge groundswell of public opposition to Westminster's tobacco and e-cig prohibition proposal, and the BOH's ending the public hearing shortly after it began, could have a huge impact throughout MA, and nationwide.

Hearing on tobacco ban ends on sour note; Westminster board cuts off discussion (MA)
Hearing on tobacco ban ends on sour note - Worcester Telegram & Gazette - telegram.com

WESTMINSTER — With more than 200 people attending, a Board of Health public hearing on a proposed ban on tobacco sales ended prematurely after shouting broke out over a no-clapping rule.

At the start of the meeting, Board of Health Chairman Andrea Crete explained the rules, which included treating people with respect and no clapping for speakers. One person had been removed before the meeting started, and Ms. Crete warned that others would be removed if they were disrespectful.

After a few people spoke and clapping occurred, the crowd was warned. Ms. Crete warned those attending again after a few more spoke. Then shouting broke out over her warning and she took action.

"This hearing is ended," she said, and the crowd erupted, with one man shouting over and over, "Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!"

The crowd then began singing "God Bless America."

Police escorted Ms. Crete and other Board of Health members out of the building, but not before she told reporters she was disappointed at having to end the hearing.

"Quite a few people wanted to speak," she said. "The unruly members of the audience were not respecting the hearing rules. I warned them more than once and we were not going to let it get out of hand."

Town’s tobacco ban riles crowd, shutting down meeting (MA)
WESTMINSTER, Mass.: Town’s tobacco ban riles crowd, shutting down meeting | National Politics | SanLuisObispo?

Prohibitionist BOH halts hearing after 23 minutes, blames the public (MA)
'Unruly audience' halts public input after 23 minutes - Lowell Sun Online

MA town’s proposed tobacco sale ban ends minutes after starting
Massachusetts Town's Proposed Tobacco Sale Ban Meeting Ends Minutes After Starting | NECN

 

[Bill Godshall]

Please note that the Westminster BOH proposal would ban the sale of all tobacco and vapor products
Westminster proposes first-in-state ban on tobacco sales - Massachusetts - The Boston Globe

“This sends a clear message to residents that this is a bad product,” said D.J. Wilson, director of the municipal association’s tobacco control program. He said that a ban may not stop adults from driving to another town to get cigarettes, but may be effective in curbing younger people, who are unable to drive.

For the past five years, taxpayer funded DJ Wilson has been lobbying every local BOH in MA to ban vaping in workplaces, to ban or excessively regulate e-cig sales, and to ban all tobacco and e-cig use outdoors on government property, parks, beaches, etc.

Public health researchers applauded Westminster’s proposal, but were unable to say whether such an unusual approach might help stem tobacco use because it has not been tried elsewhere.

“When we talk to smokers in Massachusetts and across the nation, 80 percent say they want to quit, and 50 percent try every year,” said Dr. Michael Fiore, professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin and director of the school’s Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention.

Still, Fiore said he is optimistic the sales ban would prove to be “a helping hand to get this monkey of tobacco addiction off their back.”

For the past two decades, Mike Fiore has received millions of dollars from Big Pharma and from Big Government to hawk FDA approved drugs as the only effective way to quit smoking, and to lobby for laws requiring governments and health insurers to subsidize (i.e. pay for) ineffective and unsafe FDA smoking cessation drugs.

 

[YKruss]

From Julie:

And with that, meeting ends -

 

[Uma]

Fantastic turn out! The ALA advocates for the UN, via our tax dollars. Good to see them mightily opposed, by a united group of red blooded Americans.

 

[Bill Godshall]

Unruly Crowd Shuts Down Westminster Tobacco Ban Meeting
Unruly Crowd Shuts Down Westminster Tobacco Ban Meeting - Massachusetts news - Boston.com

A Boston Globe article says 500 people were at the hearing, and that more than 1,000 Westminster residents signed a petition opposing the proposed sales ban. Check out the video of the crowd at this weblink.

They may take our lives, but they’ll never take . . . our cigarettes?

Westminster may become the first municipality in the country to ban all tobacco sales, but some businesses and town members are not ready to give up their Marlboros, Camels and Parliaments.

A public hearing on a potential tobacco ban in the western Massachusetts town of Westminster was shut down Wednesday night after boisterous audience members loudly voiced their opposition to the ban.

The Boston Globe reported that one member in the 500-person audience at Westminster Elementary School said he was “disgusted” that the town’s board of health would introduce such a proposal, which led to cheers from the crowd.

According to the Globe, more than 1,000 residents of the tiny town signed a petition opposing the ban

 

[Bill Godshall]

American Lung Association urges MA town to ban sale of all tobacco and vapor products to adults; delusional town health agent claims banning sales of e-cigs, smokeless tobacco and flavored cigars to adults best way to protect children from cigarettes.
Massachusetts town weighs nation's 1st tobacco ban - Health - Boston.com

‘‘To my knowledge, it would be the first in the nation to enact a total ban,’’ said Thomas Carr, director of national policy at the American Lung Association. ‘‘We commend the town for doing it.’’

Town health agent Elizabeth Swedberg said a ban seemed like a sensible solution to a vexing problem.

‘‘The tobacco companies are really promoting products to hook young people,’’ she said, pointing to 69-cent bubblegum-flavored cigars, electronic cigarettes and a new form of dissolvable smokeless tobacco that resembles Tic Tac candies. ‘‘The board was getting frustrated trying to keep up with this.’’

Citing a report from the U.S. surgeon general, Swedberg said that if tobacco use continues unabated, 5.6 million American children who are younger than 18 today will die prematurely because of smoking. Change, she said, ‘‘has to start somewhere.’’

 

[Bill Godshall]

Even some liberals in MA oppose Westminster's proposed ban on tobacco and vapor product sales to adults.

Boston Globe editorial opposes tobacco and vapor sales ban proposal in Westminster
Westminster should focus on smoking prevention, not tobacco ban - Editorials - The Boston Globe

Tom Keane: The Vice Squad; Town of Westiminster tries to squelch the right to make bad decisions
Town of Westminster tries to squelch the right to make bad decisions - Opinion - The Boston Globe

Raucus hearing on tobacco sales in Westminster halted
Westminster holds raucous hearing on tobacco sales ban - Metro - The Boston Globe

 

[bigdancehawk]

"Then shouting broke out over her warning..."

The way this is being reported, it seems that the crowd was reasonably well behaved until the BOH ANTZ chairwoman kept insisting on no applause and "respectful" silence, at which point the crowd got annoyed at being treated like a classroom of third graders.

 

[Bill Godshall]

And another news report.

Westminster’s tobacco ban hearing to rowdy, ends early
Westminster's tobacco ban hearing too rowdy, ends early | Health - WCVB Home

 

[Bill Godshall]

bigdancehawk wrote

The way this is being reported, it seems that the crowd was reasonably well behaved until the BOH ANTZ chairwoman kept insisting on no applause and "respectful" silence, at which point the crowd got annoyed at being treated like a classroom of third graders.

Yes. Tobacco prohibitionists don't understand (or care) that public health boards and agencies are supposed to serve the public.

 

[Nate760]

"Then shouting broke out over her warning..."

The way this is being reported, it seems that the crowd was reasonably well behaved until the BOH ANTZ chairwoman kept insisting on no applause and "respectful" silence, at which point the crowd got annoyed at being treated like a classroom of third graders.

Which just speaks to the plantation mentality that underpins the ANTZ/"public health" worldview: "You people are too stupid to know what's best for you. Shut up and let your kindly, benevolent overseers determine your future."

 

[Kent C]

"Then shouting broke out over her warning..."

The way this is being reported, it seems that the crowd was reasonably well behaved until the BOH ANTZ chairwoman kept insisting on no applause and "respectful" silence, at which point the crowd got annoyed at being treated like a classroom of third graders.

There's some history there....

Aug. 9, 1774

"We the Inhabitants of the Town of Westminster Haveing att a Town
Meeting Duly Considered the Distressing Circumstances of this province
by Reason of Several Late acts of the British parlement, (which in a Create
measure afects all the Goverments on the Contenant) whereby our Charter
priveliges and Liberties in perticular are greately obstructed and many of them
wholey taken away from us which we think is verry arbetrary and opressive
therefore think ourselves under a Nessecesity to Deminish our much Im-
barised Trade with Create Britan viz. that we cannot nor will we either by
our Selves or any for or under us Diractly or Indiractly After the Last Day
of August Instant (unlese all our Charter Rights are Restored which are
taken from us by the abovesaid acts,) purchase of Create Britan, or any that
shall Import theirfrom after said Day any more Cloathing or anything used
theirfor or any orniment thereunto belonging Nor any Tea or any other
Kind of East India Comodites Except Saltpeter and Spices and medicenal
Drugs that shall be Imported after Said Day — Nor any Liquors used for
Drink or any Kind of provision (wine only excepted) and all Earthern and
Stone Ware and all Clocks and Watches Imported —

"Our Country being Suffecent to Support us with most of the Nesseces-
aries of Life, we promise and Ingage to apply ourselves to Industry and a
more plaine way of Liveing, being the only way to save ourselves from Im-
pending Ruine."

 

[Bill Godshall]

Jeff Stier on Thom Hartmann radio show discussing Westminster's proposed tobacco and e-cig sales ban to adults, and Obama's chewing nicotine gum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ9eNTHfNAM

 

[Kent C]

Jeff Stier on Thom Hartmann radio show discussing Westminster's proposed tobacco and e-cig sales ban to adults, and Obama's chewing nicotine gum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ9eNTHfNAM

Jeff's comment - unanswered at present was true:

Jeff to Thom: What you said at the 2:00 mark is very different from what you said at 3:20. And 3:33.

Thom's attempt to define Jeff didn't work. lol. This happens a lot - even here - someone takes the 'media matters' viewpoint to denigrate, then learns the whole context of some passage and ends up agreeing.

 

[Uma]

bigdancehawk wrote


Yes. Tobacco prohibitionists don't understand (or care) that public health boards and agencies are supposed to serve the public.

Americans need to wake and realize the ALA is not a public health group, they are a UN advocacy group. Boston just so happens to have a strong UN-USA branch. Calif is swamped with them. They are just another NGO.
They advocate for "smart growth" which is a sneaky term for UN A-21.
I don't know how to share info without not sharing info, so I'll just come back and delete or get a pink slip, whichever happens first, unless, of course, it's okay to share what I do share.

"It’s called the Neighborhood Alliance, a group founded by the local president of the UN-USA Association. Didn’t know there was a local chapter of the United Nations in your town? Neither did we. What else? The other founder is the director of advocacy for the California Lung Association. A check of that group shows that they lobby the legislature for smart growth"
OK, I get it. What now? What can I do? | North Western Research Institute

Map of local chapters. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewe...9206,-120.234375&spn=77.758005,149.414063&z=2

Edited to include the map the lawyers created for getting around our constitution. Tips like over regulating, inventing causes, etc...
http://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1037&context=dflsc

Oops, and here is Boston's ALA smart growth jibber jabber http://www.mass.gov/hed/community/planning/smart-growth.html

 

[Nate760]

Americans need to wake and realize the ALA is not a public health group, they are a UN advocacy group.

They're also a group that needs epidemic levels of lung disease in order to maintain its funding and justify its very existence. When the success of your stated mission would threaten to put you out of business, you suffer from a fatal conflict of interest.

 

[Bill Godshall]

Except that the ALA was created a century ago (4 decades before the UN was created).

The ALA (which was originally named the American Association to Eradicate Tuberculosis, or something similar) first lobbied to ban spittoons and public spitting a century ago because they inaccurately believed (based upon junk science) that spit tobacco juice (from chewing tobacco) transmitted tuberculosis.

ALA's campaign to ban spitting (and the use of chewing tobacco) in public places encouraged many chewing tobacco users to switch to recently invented cigarettes, which the public was duped to believe were less hazardous than chewing tobacco (thanks to the ALA).

Before ALA began campaigning to ban public spitting and spittoons, chewing tobacco was by far the most consumed tobacco product in America (with cigars second), while virtually nobody smoked cigarettes.

By the end of WWI, cigarette consumption had surpassed chewing tobacco as the most consumed tobacco product in America.

 

[Nate760]

Except that the ALA was created a century ago (4 decades before the UN was created).

The ALA (which was originally named the American Association to Eradicate Tuberculosis, or something similar) first lobbied to ban spittoons and public spitting a century ago because they inaccurately believed (based upon junk science) that spit tobacco juice (from chewing tobacco) transmitted tuberculosis.

ALA's campaign to ban spitting (and the use of chewing tobacco) in public places encouraged many chewing tobacco users to switch to recently invented cigarettes, which the public was duped to believe were less hazardous than chewing tobacco (thanks to the ALA).

Before ALA began campaigning to ban public spitting and spittoons, chewing tobacco was by far the most consumed tobacco product in America (with cigars second), while virtually nobody smoked cigarettes.

By the end of WWI, cigarette consumption had surpassed chewing tobacco as the most consumed tobacco product in America.

Moral of story: the phenomenon of "public health" groups pursuing policies that result in catastrophic damage to public health is by no means a recent development.

 

[Kent C]

Moral of story: the phenomenon of "public health" groups pursuing policies that result in catastrophic damage to public health is by no means a recent development.

Another instance of the '180° opposite prism' of gov't - gets opposite of what's intended.

Want to stop smoking -> gov't restricts ecigs = more smoking.

 

[Uma]

They may have started out as a health group, but they've sure branched out since then. Interesting history, I had no idea about the chew. What a box of crackers they are!
Haha, great summary Nate.