Would this apply to E-cigs?

[Jason McRoy]

Hello everyone!

I hope I am posting this in the correct forum. I just noticed on the CASAA website a call to action for Miami-Dade County (Miami, FL).

Here is the link: CASAA: Miami, FL Call to Action

My question is, would this ban apply to E-cigs? Are they considered a smokeless tobacco product?

I am still fairly new to all this and this will affect my local vendor if E-cigs are included. I figured I would start here with my question as it seemed like the most valid place to post.

Thanks!

-Jason

 

[Vocalek]

Not at the moment, since electronic cigarettes are not specified within the proposed law. However, we need to fight against this because the same principle applies to electronic cigarettes. Once they have the principle of "no flavors because it makes kids become smokers" in place for one product, it's very easy to apply it to all products at a later date.

Electronic cigarettes could easily be added to the current bill. But even if not, changing it in the future would be as simple as including them in the definitions section of the law the next time it gets amended.

BTW: There was flavored pipe tobacco and cigars when I was a kid, but no flavored cigarettes. I remember my Dad smoking a pipe that smelled like cherries.

Nevertheless, I became a cigarette smoker. Perhaps if I had started out with pipe or cigar smoking (without inhaling), I would not have become a cigarette smoker because it would have meant giving up my favorite flavors. They never thought of that!

See also the response Kristin has left to one of the comments to the CTA.

 

[Jason McRoy]

Not at the moment, since electronic cigarettes are not specified within the proposed law. However, we need to fight against this because the same principle applies to electronic cigarettes. Once they have the principle of "no flavors because it makes kids become smokers" in place for one product, it's very easy to apply it to all products at a later date.

Electronic cigarettes could easily be added to the current bill. But even if not, changing it in the future would be as simple as including them in the definitions section of the law the next time it gets amended.

BTW: There was flavored pipe tobacco and cigars when I was a kid, but no flavored cigarettes. I remember my Dad smoking a pipe that smelled like cherries.

Nevertheless, I became a cigarette smoker. Perhaps if I had started out with pipe or cigar smoking (without inhaling), I would not have become a cigarette smoker because it would have meant giving up my favorite flavors. They never thought of that!

See also the response Kristin has left to one of the comments to the CTA.

Thanks for the info! I am going to write them and try and attend this hearing.

-Jason

 

[Luisa]

Thanks for the info! I am going to write them and try and attend this hearing.

-Jason

Jason,get all the information from CASAA from the legislative packet. It really helps if you are really informed and are able to answer questions and back up your answers. Take as many vapors as possible with you to the meeting. Good luck!

 

[mwplefty]

Dade County has always been more progressive when it comes to smoking. It was the first county to ban smoking in supermarkets in Florida. I really think that associating vaping with tobacco smoking and banning it solely because it "looks" like smoking is outrageous to say the least. Okay....one kills you and others around you. The other is safe for you and others around you. I really don't know what goes through the minds of these state legislatures.

 

[Luisa]

Jason,get all the information from CASAA from the legislative packet. It really helps if you are really informed and are able to answer questions and back up your answers. Take as many vapors as possible with you to the meeting. Good luck!

Jason,keep us posted. I am sure you will do a great job speaking up for smokeFreEcigs!

 

[Luisa]

Hello everyone!

I hope I am posting this in the correct forum. I just noticed on the CASAA website a call to action for Miami-Dade County (Miami, FL).

Here is the link: CASAA: Miami, FL Call to Action

My question is, would this ban apply to E-cigs? Are they considered a smokeless tobacco product?

I am still fairly new to all this and this will affect my local vendor if E-cigs are included. I figured I would start here with my question as it seemed like the most valid place to post.

Thanks!

-Jason

Bump this--Bump Bump

 

[kristin]

Jason & anyone else - here was the response I posted on the CASAA: Miami, FL Call to Action page:

Good questions!

To answer your first question, no, this bill does not currently include nor directly affect electronic cigarettes/PV's. HOWEVER, there are three points to consider if this bill does not affect you directly as a member:

1) CASAA supports consumers who use a variety of smoke-free alternatives. This includes the consumers of low-risk, smoke-free tobacco products, many of which people would not consider a very acceptable smoking alternative without the common flavorings used in them.

2) The FDA has announced its intention to regulate electronic cigarettes as a tobacco product. Those opposed to e-cigarettes have already been claiming that the flavors available in e-cigarette are made only to attract youth to the product. As we all know, the ability for an adult smoker to find a flavor that appeals to him/her is a very significant factor in the effectiveness of the product to keep them from going back to smoking. Very frequently, the consumer needs to find a flavor as far from the tobacco taste as possible for that to happen. Legislation such as this opens the door to future bills that could restrict e-cigarettes to tobacco-only flavors.

3) There are a significant number of e-cigarette users who find "something missing" from e-cigarettes and depend on using a smoke-free tobacco product in conjunction with the e-cigarette to get off of those last couple cigarettes a day. So there are e-cigarette users who depend upon some tobacco products to keep smoke-free.

So, CASAA recommends that ALL members oppose this bill in support of fellow members, regardless of whether or not you don't personally use the product. Not only as a point of solidarity with the smoke-free tobacco consumers, who also help fight bills against e-cigarettes, but as a protective measure for the future of e-cigarettes.

In response to your second question, it is not legally a "smokeless tobacco product" in Miami, but quite a few municipalities around the country have been changing their laws and ordinances to treat e-cigarettes the same as other tobacco products and if the FDA deems them to be "smokeless tobacco," any laws around the country that apply to smokeless tobacco could easily be applied to e-cigarettes. And if we do not challenge them trying to ban flavors of low-risk, smokeless tobacco products, based on lies about the risks, what is there to stop them from turning around and using the same lies to ban flavors in e-cigarettes? It's very important for e-cigarette consumers to see the greater implications when laws like these, based on fear-mongering and without scientific evidence, are proposed.

 

[Placebo Effect]

Jason, please e-mail us at board@casaa.org so we can stay in touch over the next month. We'll help you in any way we can.

 

[DC2]

You can substitute any words in the quote below with any persecuted group, and it holds just as true...

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Do not doubt for one minute that they ARE coming for you.

They don't even bother making a secret of it.
That's how little respect they have for your will and desire to make a difference.

As long as we act like sheep, you can bet they will act like shepherds.

 

[Jason McRoy]

Jason, please e-mail us at board@casaa.org so we can stay in touch over the next month. We'll help you in any way we can.

I just sent an email to the address you gave.

-Jason

 

[Jason McRoy]

Jason & anyone else - here was the response I posted on the CASAA: Miami, FL Call to Action page:

Thank you Kristin! I also just posted a reply over on the website. Great information to know.

I am also going to blog about this on a blog I created about 4 days ago.

Thanks again,

Jason McRoy

 

[Luisa]

Thank you Kristin! I also just posted a reply over on the website. Great information to know.

I am also going to blog about this on a blog I created about 4 days ago.

Thanks again,

Jason McRoy

You go,Jason! It is so nice to see someone new to ECF join the fight.

 

[Jason McRoy]

You go,Jason! It is so nice to see someone new to ECF join the fight.

Thank you.

It gets really frustrating when you see something that helps people getting hammered the way our products do.

-Jason

 

[rolygate]

As long as we act like sheep, you can bet they will act like shepherds.

You meant 'wolves' I think. Typo

 

[EleanorR]

Dang, Roly beat me to it!