Urgent action needed today mon, 26 jan to stop vape ban in la mesa - san diego county

[Nerone]

Urgent action is needed today Mon 1/27 and tomorrow Tues 1/28 to stop a total ban on selling ecigs and vaping equipment in La Mesa, in San Diego country.

We need people to call Republican Mayor Madrid who has placed a proposed BAN on selling ecigs to adults in La Mesa as well as the four members of the City Council:

Mark Arapostathis, (R), teacher for 20 years
Kristine C. Alessio, (R), lawyer, Alpine
Ernest Ewin (R) former banker
Ruth Sterling (R), Vocational Nurse

There is exactly one vape shop in La Mesa, Vape Functions (619) 741-4902. I called and spoke with Tuan Hoang, who founded the store three months ago with his brother. The proposed ordinance will completely destroy this new business.

You don't have to live in La Mesa to help out. Anyone can call and email them. I just did and I live in San Francisco. We need to bring maximum pressure and tell how ecigs and vaping has saved our lives and those of 500,000 ex-smokers in California.

CASAA sent out an alert this morning. Here it is:


http://blog.casaa.org/2014/01/local-alert-city-of-la-mesa-california.html

According to a report in the La Mesa Courier, Mayor Art Madrid of La Mesa, California is encouraging the La Mesa City Council to enact a BAN on the sale of electronic cigarettes to adults. The Mayor will present his idea before the City Council at their meeting tomorrow night (Tuesday, January 28th) at 6 PM at the La Mesa City Hall (8130 Allison Avenue in La Mesa). The agenda of Tuesday night's meeting reveals that the Mayor is supporting his push for a ban with only two documents; (1) a newspaper editorial co-written by someone who regularly obfuscates facts about e-cigarette science; and (2) a spam e-mail advertising. (See page 105 of the agenda) If the City Council agrees with the Mayor, it is possible that they may try to ram this proposal through as an emergency ordinance. That's why we need you to make your voice heard, either by attending the hearing or contacting the City Council. (Note: If attending the hearing, please be sure to be passionate but respectful and to refrain from openly vaping in the Council chambers). HOW TO TAKE ACTION: (1) Call Mayor Art Madrid's office at (619) 667-1100 and tell your story about how e-cigarettes changed your life and state your opposition to a sales or usage ban. (2) Call the voicemails for City Councilmembers Mark Arapostathis, Kristine C. Alessio, Ernest Ewin, and Ruth Sterling at (619) 667-1106 and leave a message telling your story about how e-cigarettes changes your life. (3) Send an e-mail to all members of the La Mesa City Council by using this webform on the City Council's website.

 

[DC2]

I just spent 15 minutes on the phone with Mayor Madrid.
I sent him a follow-up email with some information on various topics involved in this issue.

Suffice to say, if he follows through with this proposed legislation, it won't be because he hasn't heard the other side clearly.

 

[rothenbj]

Was this one of those last minuter "emergency" meetings that are becoming so popular? How can they call a meeting that effectively shuts down a business without notice to the business regulation would effect?

 

[Nerone]

I just spent 15 minutes on the phone with Mayor Madrid.
I sent him a follow-up email with some information on various topics involved in this issue.

Suffice to say, if he follows through with this proposed legislation, it won't be because he hasn't heard the other side clearly.

Great work! I left him a voice message and am going to leave messages for all the Council members.

I have been calling vape stores in the area and asking them to call and email and to encourage them and their family and friends to show up at the meeting tomorrow.

 

[Uma]

Well well well, it appears old grumpy forgot to say the magic words, "potentially, might, could, maybe,..." In the write up on pg 106-7.

 

[rothenbj]

I was just thinking, if every Podunk municipality bans selling e cigs in their municipality and Californicates internet sales, we have a de facto ban. Sweet

 

[Uma]

They're obviously using talbots ridiculous findings? Can somebody please post the "lol study" and the link to the studies which debunks & clarifies. I wish these were a stickie here at ECF.

 

[DC2]

They're obviously using talbots ridiculous findings? Can somebody please post the "lol study" and the link to the studies which debunks & clarifies. I wish these were a stickie here at ECF.

I explained to Mayor Madrid that the FDA was unable to cite a single instance of electronic cigarettes harming anyone.

 

[DC2]

For those wondering, these were the main issues that concerned Mayor Madrid, and what I sent him...

The CDC study results regarding increasing use among our youth...
The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary

The addictive nature of nicotine...
So I sent him all of my links regarding that question

The idea that electronic cigarettes were a ploy by Big Tobacco...
So I explained to him about Hon Lik, and about how Big Tobacco has only gotten involved lately because they see the writing on the wall.

And I also sent him this, though he did not ask for anything like this...
Reasonable people saying sensible things about low-risk alternatives to smoking (update) « The counterfactual

I also made it very clear to him that I could answer any question he might have about any issue related to electronic cigarettes.
And that if there was anything he wanted more information on, I would gladly provide it.

He hasn't asked for anything else yet, but I really do hope that he does.

 

[DC2]

By the way, if any legislator reads that Counterfactual piece by Clive Bates and still wants to hinder access to electronic cigarettes...
Well, then there really is no hope to sway them no matter what else might or could be said.

 

[ruet]

We need people to call Republican Mayor Madrid who has placed a proposed BAN on selling ecigs to adults in La Mesa as well as the four

A freedom loving Republican proposing to ban e-cig sales? How can this be? I thought it was only those nasty, communist, liberals who were behind this sort of crusade.

/sarcasm

 

[DC2]

A freedom loving Republican proposing to ban e-cig sales? How can this be? I thought it was only those nasty, communist, liberals who were behind this sort of crusade.

/sarcasm

Not only is he Republican, but so is every member of the City Council.
If this passes, it would be the second (as far as I know) such legislation coming from the Republican side.

The first such example being Utah, but there are extenuating circumstances there.


I really thought about invoking that particular argument, but decided not to.
I'm still not sure it was the right decision though.
:shrug:

 

[rothenbj]

DC, I think you made a mistake, you should have asked if he was changing parties and becoming one of those nasty, communist, liberals who are behind this sort of crusade.

 

[ruet]

I really thought about invoking that particular argument, but decided not to.
I'm still not sure it was the right decision though.

You should have... The idea that vaping bans are an idea promulgated solely by the left needs to be stamped out like a lit cigarette ..... The ardent right-wingers on this forum don't seem to have any compunction bringing up political affiliations and/or motivations when it comes to bans and neither should you.

DC, I think you made a mistake, you should have asked if he was changing parties and becoming one of those nasty, communist, liberals who are behind this sort of crusade.

No change required.

 

[OBDave]

Anyone happen to catch the meeting? Curious how things went - I was trying to get out to La Mesa but work sent me to cover something else instead...

 

[rothenbj]

Don't lnow about La Mesa but found this looking-

Solana Beach receives highest marks in county for overall tobacco control - Del Mar Times | Del Mar Times

"The highest marks for overall tobacco control were given to El Cajon and Solana Beach, each of which received a B grade. They were rewarded for licensing tobacco retailers. Additionally, El Cajon was lauded for banning smoking in common areas of multi-family housing units. The City Council is also considering a ban the sale of electronic cigarettes."

It looks like an epidemic in California!

 

[OBDave]

Don't lnow about La Mesa but found this looking-

Solana Beach receives highest marks in county for overall tobacco control - Del Mar Times | Del Mar Times

"The highest marks for overall tobacco control were given to El Cajon and Solana Beach, each of which received a B grade. They were rewarded for licensing tobacco retailers. Additionally, El Cajon was lauded for banning smoking in common areas of multi-family housing units. The City Council is also considering a ban the sale of electronic cigarettes."

It looks like an epidemic in California!

Funny that's in a Del Mar paper - that city was the first locally that I know of to ban analogs everywhere, and El Cajon (where I grew up and about as redneck-friendly a city you'll find out here) was the second. The El Cajon law is kind of hard to enforce, however, as it requires the person offended by someone else smoking in a public place to actually confront a smoker and demand the smoking cease before an actual crime has been committed. Folks out east are generally much more laid back than people in the city proper where I live now, so in all my years as a smoker I only had like two problems, both of which were remedied by me politely snubbing my .....

 

[rico942]

Been following this as I have friends in La Mesa who have successfully quit smoking and started vaping, one of them a 3 pack a day chain smoker ...

This story popped up on the Reader website today ...

La Mesa considers ban on e-cigarette sales | San Diego Reader

 

[rothenbj]

So they put in a ban similar to smoking and a revisit-

"On Tuesday night, Madrid pulled back from the blanket ban on e-cigarette sales and puffing in La Mesa, instead proposing that the practice be subject to the city's existing smoking ordinance: none allowed in public places such as restaurants and playgrounds."

Plus they were basing their regulations on an opinion piece, wow.

 

[DC2]

Plus they were basing their regulations on an opinion piece, wow.

When I talked to Mayor Madrid, the first thing I did was ask him why he was proposing this ban...
He told me he had constituents ask him to do something because of the CDC study...