Urgent TONIGHT! South San Francisco to impose "urgency moratorium" on a variety of e-cig businesses

[Oliver]

From CASAA:

The City of South San Francisco City Council will meet TONIGHT (Wednesday, January 8^th, 2014) to consider an urgency ordinance which would impose a temporary moratorium on various e-cigarette businesses in the city.


Text of ordinance


Please take this opportunity to send the members of the City Council accurate information about e-cigarettes and your story about how the product has improved your life.

CASAA strongly encourages vapers to (i) call and email City Council members, the Mayor, and Vice Mayor as well as (ii) attend and ask to speak at the City Council meeting tonight (Wednesday, January 8^th, 2014) at 7 PM at the Community Room of Municipal Services Center (33 Arroyo Dr. in South San Francisco, CA 94080).


The City of South San Francisco City Council will meet TONIGHT (Wednesday, January 8^th, 2014) to consider an urgency ordinance which would impose a temporary moratorium on various e-cigarette businesses in the city.


Text of ordinance


Please take this opportunity to send the members of the City Council accurate information about e-cigarettes and your story about how the product has improved your life.

CASAA strongly encourages vapers to (i) call and email City Council members, the Mayor, and Vice Mayor as well as (ii) attend and ask to speak at the City Council meeting tonight (Wednesday, January 8^th, 2014) at 7 PM at the Community Room of Municipal Services Center (33 Arroyo Dr. in South San Francisco, CA 94080).

Please visit the CASAA page here: CASAA: Local Alert: City of South San Francisco, California, May Issue Moratorium on E-Cigarette Stores and Lounges.

 

[soba1]

I sent an email to the City Counci.
LA So Cal here....

 

[Talyon]

How many times can they pass around that bogus study, sheesh.

 

[GreatestUnKnown]

How many times can they pass around that bogus study, sheesh.

Didn't even make it past the first page before it was mentioned, I wish I could attend to support but I believe that the SF/Bay Area has enough educated and involved vapers to hopefully cease the moratorium. I will still be sending my e-mails.

 

[BillyWJ]

Didn't even make it past the first page before it was mentioned, I wish I could attend to support but I believe that the SF/Bay Area has enough educated and involved vapers to hopefully cease the moratorium. I will still be sending my e-mails.

One would hope so, but NEVER underestimate the SF City Council, they're just as bad or worse than the NYC Council, in terms of not listening to their constituents and doing whatever they want.

 

[DJLEC]

I invited them to come to the San Francisco Airport to actually talk to the Vapers;

" Each and every Council member should come to the San Francisco Airport either to the front of Terminal 1, 2, or 3 to talk to people that have made the switch successfully to get off of Cigarettes using a Vaporizer (E-cigarette).

Until Council members make a move to educate themselves of the benefits they should not Vote on this proposal ".

 

[rothenbj]

Technohydra, if it's anything like NYC, which I believe it is, the public meeting is just a formality to make it seem legal. I'm seeing a concerted effort to make it harder to keep the industry from growing.

 

[Vap-d]

My sister in law should be involved with this she is at large council position 4 Im going to call and find out what she knows.

 

[Pocha]

A friend and I are going. Already sent emails to the parties.

 

[DrMA]

A friend and I are going. Already sent emails to the parties.

Good luck!

Whatever you do, DO NOT blow huge clouds of vapor into the faces of the council members

 

[Pocha]

Good luck!

Whatever you do, DO NOT blow huge clouds of vapor into the faces of the council members

I'll try to contain myself… ;-)

 

[Uma]

I wrote, but can't attend. I hope they listen!

Here's my note, in case it needs a cleanup on aisle 4.
Dear representatives of the fine area of San Francisco,
It has come to my attention there will be an "urgent" meeting tonight, to ban Micro Businesses & Small Businesses from stirring the economy, as well as helping smokers switch over to a safer alternative to smoking while they continue their difficult journey towards a smoke free life. This will be a hardship on the Businesses, the Consumers, the employees, as well as the tourists & visitors who will need to replenish their consumer goods.
It's been proven that the electronic cigarette is magnitudes safer than a real cigarette. There is absolutely no tar, or stink. There is no toxins or carcenogen Traces worth jotting down let alone being considered of threshold importance.

The low risks of e-cigarettes is supported by research done by Dr. Siegel of Boston University, Dr. Eissenberg of Virginia Commonwealth, Dr Maciej L Goniewicz of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Dr. Laugesen of Health New Zealand, Dr. Igor Burstyn of Drexel University, and by the fact that the 2009 FDA testing, in spite of its press statement, failed to find harmful levels of carcinogens or toxic levels of any chemical in the vapor.

A comprehensive review by a Drexel University professor based on over 9,000 observations of e-cigarette liquid and vapor found "no apparent concern" for bystanders exposed to e-cigarette vapor, even under "worst case" assumptions about exposure. http://publichealth.drexel.edu/~/media/Files/publichealth/ms08.pdf

The propaganda attacking the safer alternatives is just that, propaganda. I trust you will research (CASAA.org has a nice collection) of credible info) & put the health and economy of your area in the top position of priorities. The long term values are extraordinary. I realize it must be difficult to turn down the grant monies available from the anti-ecig crusaders who are desperately trying to ban the only competition that real smokes have ever had. Everyone from TSET to Pfizer (aka RWJ foundation) are in a state of panic about the smoke funds depleting. I celebrate this! I hope you will too.

Hope to see you at the next Golden Gate marathon. I'll be the one without an oxygen tank, vaping a nice flavor of SF Blend Coffee, and rooting for the masses who have finally found a way to rid themselves of smokes.

Sincerely,
Uma xxxxxx

 

[Berylanna]

One would hope so, but NEVER underestimate the SF City Council, they're just as bad or worse than the NYC Council, in terms of not listening to their constituents and doing whatever they want.

This is NOT the SF City Council. Please be careful not to go to the wrong place. South San Francisco has that big chalk sign on the mountain that says "South San Francisco, the Industrial City" or something like that. It's just north of San Bruno or Daly City. They are CLOSER to SFO than San Francisco is.

This is what the Alert says:
Local Alert: City of South San Francisco, California, May Issue Moratorium on E-Cigarette Stores and Lounges.

 

[DirtyHarry]

This is NOT the SF City Council. Please be careful not to go to the wrong place. South San Francisco has that big chalk sign on the mountain that says "South San Francisco, the Industrial City" or something like that. It's just north of San Bruno or Daly City. They are CLOSER to SFO than San Francisco is.

This is what the Alert says:
Local Alert: City of South San Francisco, California, May Issue Moratorium on E-Cigarette Stores and Lounges.

Thank you; this is very important - while the SF Board of Stupidvisors may well be corrupt and intractable, SSF council is likely much more amenable to public comment. If I wasn't sick as a dog right now I'd be up there right now... I hope it turns out for the best.
(South San Francisco is much more like a "small town" than SF proper, and operates like it)

-Insp. 2211

 

[Impulso]

If anyone was present and knows how it went, i'm interested in hearing more.

 

[Pocha]

OK…just got back from the city council meeting. Let me start by saying this: for those apocalyptic naysayers who think we are doomed and there is no point in getting involved…you are wrong! At least in this case, at least this time in South San Francisco.

Several of the council members mentioned the number of emails they received and that they took them into consideration. Several of the members seemed very open to the notion that e-cigs are potentially a positive development and spoke positively about "individual freedoms". Several of us spoke (there were 7 of "us" there. We all told our stories and they were obviously affected by our testimony and responded/referred to things we had said. In the end the agreed to amend the moratorium to NOT include retail sales establishments. From what I could tell there will only be a 45 day moratorium on vapor "lounges" and hooka bars but not places that have retail sales of vape/ecig products. So…I think we kind of "won" this one.

We will be back in 45 days. The only obviously ignorant and biased member was the mayor who spouted the obligatory "ecigs are made with antifreeze" BS but everyone else seemed pretty open-minded if not supportive. So…moral of the story is GET INVOLVED because it DOES make a difference.

 

[Uma]

that's great news!! Thanks so much for going & also for updating us here.

 

[Dzaw]

Well done Cali vapers! That's awesome!

 

[HybridTea]

Thank you for the update, and for attending the meeting, Pocha. It is very encouraging to know that the e-mails were noticed!

 

[Impulso]

Many thanks for the representation. I hope to be able to drive down one of these days to stand by with all of you, while incurring the wrath of the family, as i'm never home as it is.

OK…just got back from the city council meeting. Let me start by saying this: for those apocalyptic naysayers who think we are doomed and there is no point in getting involved…you are wrong! At least in this case, at least this time in South San Francisco.

Several of the council members mentioned the number of emails they received and that they took them into consideration. Several of the members seemed very open to the notion that e-cigs are potentially a positive development and spoke positively about "individual freedoms". Several of us spoke (there were 7 of "us" there. We all told our stories and they were obviously affected by our testimony and responded/referred to things we had said. In the end the agreed to amend the moratorium to NOT include retail sales establishments. From what I could tell there will only be a 45 day moratorium on vapor "lounges" and hooka bars but not places that have retail sales of vape/ecig products. So…I think we kind of "won" this one.

We will be back in 45 days. The only obviously ignorant and biased member was the mayor who spouted the obligatory "ecigs are made with antifreeze" BS but everyone else seemed pretty open-minded if not supportive. So…moral of the story is GET INVOLVED because it DOES make a difference.