WV - MID OHIO VALLEY HEALTH DEPT., Clean Indoor Air passed...

[jlew]

The WV Mid Ohioh Valley HEalth Department has issues the Clean Indoor Air Act to Include E-Cigarettes
in bans:

Clean Indoor Air
Clean Indoor Air : Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department

tobacco Prevention
Tobacco Prevention : Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department


I have just written a letter to Jamie Jacobsen, tobacco Prevention Coordinator -- and here is
the full text:

Hello,

I am writing as a concerned citizen of WV.

I smoked for 34+ years @ nearly 2 packs a day. Nothing I tried ever worked to get me off
cigarettes until in October of last year, when I tried an Electronic Cigarette.

I have now been nearly 6 months Cigarette Free, can breathe much better and my family no
longer suffers the effects from smoking... my home smells better and no longer has the nasty
sticky film or dirty ash trays ....

I am guessing you do not have much knowledge of E-Cigarettes and their potential to help
not only reduce the harm caused by smoking but the potential to get people off cigarettes for
good.

E-Cigarettes should NOT be included in any form of legislation regarding Indoor Smoking
Policy as they are meant to reduce the second hand dangers of smoking as well as provide
smokers with a means to reduce cigarette use and possibly quit.

Here is a little information regarding the use of, purpose for, and scientific evidence that
e-cigarettes have none of the dangers that smoking has.

In 2011, the Clear-Stream Air Project conducted a study on E-cigs vs smoking and here are
the papers and results showing that smoking produces significant risks while E-Cig vapor
produces little to none.

Clear-Stream Air Published!
ClearStream Air Published! | ClearStream by FlavourArt

Full Text
http://clearstream.flavourart.it/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/CSA_ItaEng.pdf

Results Poster
http://clearstream.flavourart.it/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/CSA_Poster.pdf

Also, I know people who have been using e-cigs for well over a year, some for 2 or more years,
and of the hundreds of thousands (maybe even millions) who use them, they can all tell you
how much they have benefited from the E-Cigarette.

Also - Please put personal opinion and beliefs aside and feel free to visit the CASAA website

Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association
CASAA - The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association

tobacco Harm Reduction
Tobacco Harm Reduction

Learn about Electronic Cigarettes
Learn About Electronic Cigarettes

All of these pages include science and facts based on real studies and in the E-Cigarette Forum
( http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/
) you can find thousands of people who have given
their testimonies about how the e-cig has helped them.

Currently, there are several ongoing studies (on in Penn State by Dr Foulds, and one in the UK)
regarding the use and benefits or possible dangers and so far... no dangers have been found.

Simply put - Your site "MOVHD" says: "Promoting Health Preventing Disease"
Well... banning the use of e-cigarettes is NOT promoting health, it is inhibiting it and is only
instilling more fear in people about e-cigarettes when there should be more education about
them.

Let's face it -- the MAIN reason there is so much controversy and propaganda over e-cigarettes
is because:
1) The FDA could stand to lose their hold on the market for NRT products (that simply DO NOT
work)
2) The Cigarette companies stand to lose Cigarette sales
3) Health organizations stand to lose funding from the money coming in from people smoking.
4) Medical organizations stand to lose money from the health issues caused by smoking.

Lets be realistic -- (IMHO) It is about Money - not health.

Where have our Priorities gone?

It isn't the Nicotine that is the issue, it is the burning of tobacco -- Nicotine has numerous
health benefits and if you really want to get technical, Nicotine is found in a wide variety
of vegetables and other things we use every day, as is Propylene Glycol, Vegetable Glycerin,
Distilled Water, and Food Flavorings.

Those 5 things are the ONLY ingredients in an E-Cigarette and are approved for a wide variety
of daily uses by humans.

So... is banning the use of food flavorings, candy, cosmetics, fog machine, potatoes, cauliflower,
hot peppers, vaporizers, asthma inhalers (+ thousands of other things) next?

Personally - I will never go back to smoking now that I found the greatest invention since
chewing gum (which by the way doesn't work to stop smoking either).
And I will support any effort to keep e-cigarettes on the open market so smokers can have
a BETTER alternative that is not only affordable but works and is far better than inhaling
4000+ carcinogenic chemicals.

If they had these 30, 40, even 50 years ago, perhaps my Mother would be alive today.



Thank you.

If anyone wishes to help... please write Jamie at:
jamie.r.jacobsen@wv.gov


This is getting so far out of hand that it isn't even funny... as if it ever was.

 

[ByStander1]

I was in attendance for this meeting on March 26th. It was interesting...

Richard "Dck" (he goes by that name, but I guess it's vulgar) Wittberg, the director of the health department came to talk with me before the meeting began. He said he wanted to let me know of some changes that were made to the regs since the January meeting (our Board only meets every other month). The "changes" were all references to electronic cigarettes specifically. He said he was letting me know of the changes because he knew I was interested in this topic, and if I wanted, I could speak to the board at the beginning of the meeting. I said of course I'd want to talk to them.

I had about 5 minutes to prepare, and it showed. Oh well. I begged the board to give me the opportunity to supply them with plenty of evidence to assure them electronic cigarettes are not harmful to the user, and certainly not harmful to the public. Not only that, I asked that they delay any action on the new regulations, because I know dozens of people, in addition to myself, that would like to address the board on this particular topic. They listened politely and continued with their meeting.

A little background:
The new regs were proposed in December. They did not include anything relating to electronic cigarettes. There was an online public comment period from December 21st to January 21st.

At the January board meeting, the new regs were tabled and not voted on, because 5 of the 13 board members either resigned or were asked to step down. So, at the March meeting, there were 5 new members. I had seen only 1 of the new members at any previous meetings.

When the topic of the new regs was reached, one of the new members suggested they wait to vote considering what I had said and to give me and possibly others the opportunity to supply more information for the board to consider before voting. Then he said, "There's no rush, is there?" At this point, Dck said that because of prior litigation, and the length of time the regs have been in the works, there actually was some urgency. At this point, one of the long-time members made a motion that they vote on the regs, another long-time member seconded, and they took a vote. It passed 8 to 4 or 7 to 5 (I don't remember). The chairwoman only votes in the event of a tie.

After the meeting, the new member asked if I had one of them with me, he hadn't seen one. I first indicated the one on a lanyard around my neck that I'd been wearing when I spoke. I pulled out a couple of others I keep on hand. Of course, none look anything like an analog. He was surprised and said he thought they looked like cigarettes. I said that unlike what Dck had told the board during the meeting that it would be difficult to differentiate between an electronic cigarette and a tobacco cigarette, there wouldn't really be any difficulty, would there? He shook his head, and said, "At least you tried." Dck stopped me before I left and said he'd be happy to pass on any information I wanted to get to the board, if he found it "relevant."

Yes, a very interesting evening. The Mid Ohio Valley Board of Health meets next on Tuesday, May 28th at 6:30pm in Parkersburg at the Health Department building.

 

[Ruppy]

Let me know if there is any relevance for us to attend that meeting. I can possibly be there. It dosent surprise me they snuck this in as they are notorious for avoiding any public comment.

 

[Bill Godshall]

If the Board of Health's proposed "Clean Indoor Air Regulation" did NOT include e-cigarettes, the Board's March 26th decision to ban e-cigarette use in workplaces might have been illegal.

 

[jlew]

Even with the new members, their decision shows a considerable lack of proper education about
e-cigarettes and a decision based on personal opinion and fear brought about by propaganda.

Yet they have no problems with allowing Red Bull and Cigarettes to stay on the market and in
use...

and Red Bull can be bought by kids!

Go Figure.


I often wonder how many people within our own health organizations smoke - and how many have
ever actually tried an e-cigarette...

Bet there would be a lot of changed minds if people within the departments who smoke switched
to e-cigs after finding out the truth and reality of them.