University of California Tobacco Ban (not just tobacco)

[Ryedan]

Re: Update on UC tobacco-Free Policy.

As you may know, University of California President Mark Yudof has directed all UC campuses to become tobacco-free no later than January 1, 2014. When the campus implements that policy on January 1, the use of cigarettes, cigars, oral tobacco, electronic cigarettes, and all other tobacco products will be prohibited on the UCSC campus and at all other properties owned or leased by UCSC.

It's a tobacco ban. What about zero nic vaping? No tobacco in that puppy. Anyone know if this has been tried somewhere?

 

[Bellerine]

We'll help you obtain nicotine in patch or gum form but we'll ban it in liquid form. The ridiculousness just never fails to frustrate me.

It violates none of their stated goals. No litter - check. Fire safety - check. No secondhand smoke effects - check.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but damn if the ignorance doesn't just blow my mind to the point of needing to type a rant.

Will they ban liquid caffeine in the form of coffee, too?

 

[astounded]

We'll help you obtain nicotine in patch or gum form but we'll ban it in liquid form. The ridiculousness just never fails to frustrate me.

It violates none of their stated goals. No litter - check. Fire safety - check. No secondhand smoke effects - check.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but damn if the ignorance doesn't just blow my mind to the point of needing to type a rant.

Will they ban liquid caffeine in the form of coffee, too?

I think the liquid caffeine is ok but that they are planning on banning solid form caffeine in terms of the wake-up pills half the students live on at exam time ... they will start searching pockets, purses and knapsacks for these at all campus entrances ...

We have to be allowed to rant here occasionally otherwise the idiocy will build up in our brains and they will explode ... It is truly amazing especially considering that it is a tobacco ban and we are vaping nicotine:
wikipedia: "Tobacco is a product processed from the dried leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana ... Tobacco is a name for any plant of the genus Nicotiana of the Solanaceae family (nightshade family) and for the product manufactured from the leaf used in cigars and cigarettes, snuff, and pipe and chewing tobacco."

It makes you want to hit them with your pv and shout "Show me the tobacco! Where are the dried leaves?!" Perhaps if one wrapped a Nicoderm patch around the outside of the clearomizer it might become acceptable? Ryedan had a really good point about the zero nic vaping and if unreason prevails a zero nic sit-in in the admin building could be fun ...

And really good advice about keeping the letter to the admin concise and perhaps the letter re the personal situation of medical advice/tobacco cessation separate entirely ...with a goal of a few sentences to make them give you written yes or no on the question. (If the situation seems favorable I could see it being politically effective to read that short letter at the meeting then hand it to the representative publicly stating that you will be awaiting a written response ...)

ETA Of course I am not meaning you should not present all the excellent points, studies etc already mentioned ... it is just that those require logic, thinking, open mind etc whereas medical advice/smoking cessation please-give-me-a-written-response is likely to make their lawyers and PR people start chattering at them ...
... and I see I have blathered on yet again so in terms of concise do as I say not as I do ... someone needs to be the bad example!

 

[Cycles Gladiator]

I've added a ton of notes from all your comments onto my letter, the only problem is it needs a lot of work now. I think I will be sending a few formal letters around, post flyers around campus, and then have a modified version of the letter to present at the meeting. I'll start with a follow up to their wanting "to support anyone who wants to kick the tobacco habit." Along the lines of: I agree that "this is the right time to go tobacco-free" and I have quit cigarettes and my tobacco use through these products [pull out PVs]. I attribute my success to my electronic cigarettes, which the campus is considering to ban starting January 1st 2014. Then stress their key points and offer my own about how e-cigs do not fit in this ban at all. All the mean time having the wonderful CASAA resources to further drive my points and have a few of them to pass out, along with the formal letter.

I really hope something will come of this. Thanks for everyone's support and advice!