Vapers, Don't Make The Mistakes We Made As Smokers!

[OnTheFidele]

Why are there so few people that have signed the petition (In the US) as of yet? We are making the same mistake we made when we were cigarette smokers!

Why are cigarettes so expensive in the US? A little concept called excise tax.
How were states able to impose these taxes? No smoker took action!

When we read about these legislations in the news, did the adequately large percentage of us fight against them?
Most of use lit up a smoke, puffed away our concerns and went on with our lives.

When these legislations passed, did we finally stand up and resist?
Well, we stood up and had a smoke.

I think this might happening to us vapers. That sweet, sweet smoke is pretty calming after all...

 

[DC2]

Why are there so few people that have signed the petition (In the US) as of yet?

I haven't quite figured that out yet.

Maybe it is because the last White House petition we did was a waste of time.
Or maybe it is because there are a lot of people that don't check the forums daily, and their signatures will trickle in over time.
Or maybe it is because not enough of us are making sure everyone we know is signing.
Or maybe it is because the vendors aren't really behind this effort yet.

But I can tell you this much...

The last petition it took almost the entire allotted time to get 5,000 signatures.
And we are already past that in just a few days!

I think this might happening to us vapers.

We, as a community, have been standing up and fighting.
Although not nearly enough of us.

Make sure to check out the CASAA.org website.
And then make sure to join.

 

[Absintheur]

I signed but I did so knowing it won't make the least amount of difference in what the FDA has already decided to do. It is all about the money and the FDA will not tolerate anything that cuts into the money the Feds get from tobacco products. Once they figure out how to tax e-cigs at the same rate they can tax tobacco they will become pro e-cig over night.

The don't care about your health, the health of your children, the health of the nation...they only care about the health of their wallets.

This battle will have to be fought in Congress and the courts.

 

[JudeD]

I just see these threads where members are saying stuff like, "Sign so the FDA doesn't regulate your vaping!" and it's crucial to sign this and our community sucks if we can't get 25,000 signatures on this and I think members' expectations are way too high. Starting a petition or signing it is fine, but if you look at the whitehouse.gov petition to legalize that substance that was just legalized in two states, you'll see that they got over 80,000 signatures and all they got from it was a couple paragraphs of "political speak" saying that a committee was being formed to study the reports developed by a previous commission yada yada yada. And a small piece of an interview Obama gave on a talk show that didn't answer anything.

There are a lot of articles out there in the media about the whole whitehouse.gov petition idea being a gimmick to both give the impression that they are listening even though nothing comes from it and to add names and email addresses to their data base. And because there are so many petitions like the Death Star one and the Deport Piers Morgan one, it has become kind of a joke.

I want to do everything we can to try to influence what regs are placed on vaping and e-liquids, but I think we have to choose our targets carefully and I'm just not sure, after reading the responses the successful petitions received, that this is the best possible avenue. All they are offering is a public response. That could mean a chance for Obama to placate the antis once again. Or it could be a worthwhile response that is totally ignored by the media because it isn't sexy like building a death star.

Anyway, that's my two cents. I think the comments directly to the FDA and the work CASAA does is more effective, but that's just me. I don't have a lot of faith in our government these days.

 

[SissySpike]

The majority sets idly by as their freedoms and future are sold and taken from them each and every day why should this be any different? Its way far better to make excuses and do nothing.

 

[tnt56]

Sorry but the Big Tobacco has the money to buy whoever and I mean Whoever they want to buy. I'll try any way I can but I can't compete with that kind of money. Goverment is all about Money. Ever know a congressman/woman who was on the brink of proverty.

 

[in4mati0n11]

The OP nailed it.... You can sit on the sidelines and do nothing and then get what you deserve or you can do whatever you can to "try" and make a difference and elevate issues so that they are at least noticed.

I keep bumping the petition thread... WHY?? It's not because I think Obama is a great guy and he'll have mercy on us and it will change the course the FDA will take...

I do it because often the right hand doesn't know what the left is doing. Obama is a reformed smoker, maybe, just maybe he is a closet vaper!!

We still suck if we cant get 25,000 signatures... Why?? Because it shows that "we the people" are content being sheep.....

my .02

 

[meatcutter]

the petition is not enough write every congressman and senator you can I have personally written over 200 letters in an attempt to be heard.

 

[Renolizzie]

I signed the petition because if we don't at least try to have some input into the political process, we definitely are NOT going to influence any decisions being made. We may not get what we want for vaping but we do have to give it the best shot we have.
It isn't sign this petition or write your legislatures or join CASAA or...

It is do everything you can to keep vaping a viable option to smoking in this country! Make the effort. It is worth it.

 

[Robino1]

I bump the threads also.

I did not fight when the government was banning smoking because I KNEW smoking was bad for me and those around me. I WILL fight in any way I can to have my voice heard to keep vaping an option for me.
Should these petitions fail I can say that I DID try. It is far better to fight and possibly lose BUT possibly win, than to not fight and have them walk all over us.

 

[klynnn]

I just wonder what will happen if they make eliquid illegal. Think of how many more criminals there will be. Surely someone has to be left to pay all those welfare checks and food stamp payments.

 

[JudeD]

I bump the threads also.

I did not fight when the government was banning smoking because I KNEW smoking was bad for me and those around me. I WILL fight in any way I can to have my voice heard to keep vaping an option for me.
Should these petitions fail I can say that I DID try. It is far better to fight and possibly lose BUT possibly win, than to not fight and have them walk all over us.

I agree, which is why I wrote a long comment on the FDA site and why I joined CASAA and why I try to spread the word whenever possible and why I send emails and make phone calls to politicians. It's not that I don't want to try. I just want members to not pin all their hopes on the petition. And to keep their expectations of what a petition with 25000 signatures will actually accomplish based on the reality of the responses that have already been received. Encouraging people to sign is not the problem, thinking that getting enough votes means we've won a major battle is. It's making a stand, speaking up, and highlighting an issue that's important to us, which is all very good, as long as no one expects more than a carefully worded, non-committal response to come from it.

I'm in no way saying we should give up and let them walk all over us. I'm just responding to the OP's question of why there aren't more signatures by offering a possible reason.

 

[stressmama]

I signed the petition, but don't have any illusions that it will help. I also wrote my representative and both senators and will continue to do so. I encourage everyone to do the same because I believe at some point this will hit Congress.

 

[OnTheFidele]

Make sure to check out the CASAA.org website.
And then make sure to join.

Done and done.

Hard to argue against Absintheur, JudeD, and tnt56 because you guys are right. In the end, it's definitely about the money and power.

This is going to sound overly conceptual and impractical, but here's what I think: As the weak and poor, however, the least we can do is to fight the ideological battle to fight this stigma. Vaping has much more potential that a flavorful nicotine delivery system. Caffeine and supplements may also lend themselves to vaping. Let's not have the tree be cut down as a sapling.

 

[Shifty192]

i signed it and im austrailan haha i hope they dont find out.. i dont what america on my back haha

 

[LongDraw]

Whether or not it helps, I tried. Signed the petition now, and a few days/weeks back sent a note on another link. Also forwarded the petition to some family and friends.

 

[kristin]

My first, gut reaction to this petition was "we tried this already and got the brush-off." But I've been thinking about it more and changed my mind and signed and linked it on Facebook. Why? Because, while having a petition to the White House won't change what the FDA will do, it would newsworthy and beneficial to advocates to have 25,000 or more signatures supporting the idea that the "FDA should NOT propose or approve any regulation that would deny cigarette smokers legal or affordable access to less hazardous smoke-free alternatives." We can turn that fact into press releases and use it in statements.

Additionally, it will hopefully make more people aware of the deeming regulations. Then, when CASAA puts out a Call to Action in April for people to make public comments on the FDA docket regarding those regulations, we'll hopefully get the tens of thousands of people who signed the petition to also fill out a comment to the FDA. So, I hope everyone promoting this petition today also promotes CASAA's far more important Call to Action in April!

 

[DC2]

So, I hope everyone promoting this petition today also promotes CASAA's far more important Call to Action in April!

Quoted for emphasis.