I was informed of the City Council Meeting in Pico Rivera by the banner on the forum. I contacted Greg at Casaa and asked him if even though I live an hour away I should attend. He said yes.
I drove an hour and attended the Council Meeting in Pico Rivera.
In a Nut Shell they had a moratorium on new " Electronic Cigarrette Retailers, Drug Paraphernalia Retailers and Head Shops within City Limits."
4 of us came to the meeting to Speak in front of the council and oppose the bill
and they had 2-3 that spoke in favor.
The final outcome was that the council instead of extending the ban for a year, stated that they would do something unusual, extend it for 45 days and while they take E-Cigarette Retailers out of the bill and put separately.
If they follow through than it's a Win. If a City wants to band E-Cig retailers we can oppose that and even if it passes it not huge.
But to set the precedent and ban E-Cigarettes by lumping them in with Drug Paraphernalia would have been a horrible precedent. At one point in the proceding the councilman asked the person proposing the bill. What are other cities doing.
I saw it, the Domino Effect, once you set one precedent it makes the Cities feel more comfortable with there actions. They check what other cities are doing.
I'm firmly convinced that without us going in front of the council and speaking the Bill would have been extended a year and eventually passed.
I told them that I own a house in Chino and I would support a bill that banned Head Shops in my city but my objection is that E-Cigarettes are not associated with illegal Drugs. I don't smoke ......... and don't know anyone using E-Cigs for illegal drugs.
Highlight of the meeting:
A gentleman supposedly representing cancer society said "Nicotine Causes Cancer" luckily I came right after him, unfortunately [or fortunately] I became a little upset with this lie and it affected my presentation. It may have been fortunate, City Council are People and they can tell when someone truly feels passionate about an issue.
I think I said "I don't know where this guy is coming from with extreme distaste and disgust in my voice" and proceeded to emotionally say that there is no medical evidence, tests studies etc that Nicotine causes cancer and that the cancer causing agents in E-Cigs are no higher than the gum, patch etc. Than I said Nicoting is a poison and highly addicting but it doesn't cause cancer.
Than a little unscientifically I said.
Don't you all think that if E-Cigs were really that harmful the FDA would have banned it by now?
I may have said something like Caffeine isn't good for you but they don't ban it.
The Professor said that he thinks they liked me. That what they wanted to hear was emotion, cause they cut him off 2 seconds early in his well thought out and organized presentation and let me ramble on.
Other Highlight- A Priest specializing in substance abuse came out against the ban.
Final Cherry on Top - Highlight- Head of Sherriffs department was questioned and testified that they haven't seen E-Cigarettes used as drug devices. Thank gosh we had an honest sheriff.
Anyway I just wanted to say to all. Whenever a the government is talking about a ban on E-Cigs, come to the proceedings, you might make a difference.
I drove an hour and attended the Council Meeting in Pico Rivera.
In a Nut Shell they had a moratorium on new " Electronic Cigarrette Retailers, Drug Paraphernalia Retailers and Head Shops within City Limits."
4 of us came to the meeting to Speak in front of the council and oppose the bill
and they had 2-3 that spoke in favor.
The final outcome was that the council instead of extending the ban for a year, stated that they would do something unusual, extend it for 45 days and while they take E-Cigarette Retailers out of the bill and put separately.
If they follow through than it's a Win. If a City wants to band E-Cig retailers we can oppose that and even if it passes it not huge.
But to set the precedent and ban E-Cigarettes by lumping them in with Drug Paraphernalia would have been a horrible precedent. At one point in the proceding the councilman asked the person proposing the bill. What are other cities doing.
I saw it, the Domino Effect, once you set one precedent it makes the Cities feel more comfortable with there actions. They check what other cities are doing.
I'm firmly convinced that without us going in front of the council and speaking the Bill would have been extended a year and eventually passed.
I told them that I own a house in Chino and I would support a bill that banned Head Shops in my city but my objection is that E-Cigarettes are not associated with illegal Drugs. I don't smoke ......... and don't know anyone using E-Cigs for illegal drugs.
Highlight of the meeting:
A gentleman supposedly representing cancer society said "Nicotine Causes Cancer" luckily I came right after him, unfortunately [or fortunately] I became a little upset with this lie and it affected my presentation. It may have been fortunate, City Council are People and they can tell when someone truly feels passionate about an issue.
I think I said "I don't know where this guy is coming from with extreme distaste and disgust in my voice" and proceeded to emotionally say that there is no medical evidence, tests studies etc that Nicotine causes cancer and that the cancer causing agents in E-Cigs are no higher than the gum, patch etc. Than I said Nicoting is a poison and highly addicting but it doesn't cause cancer.
Than a little unscientifically I said.
Don't you all think that if E-Cigs were really that harmful the FDA would have banned it by now?
I may have said something like Caffeine isn't good for you but they don't ban it.
The Professor said that he thinks they liked me. That what they wanted to hear was emotion, cause they cut him off 2 seconds early in his well thought out and organized presentation and let me ramble on.
Other Highlight- A Priest specializing in substance abuse came out against the ban.
Final Cherry on Top - Highlight- Head of Sherriffs department was questioned and testified that they haven't seen E-Cigarettes used as drug devices. Thank gosh we had an honest sheriff.
Anyway I just wanted to say to all. Whenever a the government is talking about a ban on E-Cigs, come to the proceedings, you might make a difference.
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