Updated New York Call To Action

Christopher · April 29, 2011

http://www.casaa.org/CTA/article.asp?articleID=156&l=a&p

Support S2926/A6667 and Oppose S695-2011/A1468

While Linda Rosenthal's bill that would ban all sales of electronic cigarettes in New York State is still pending in the Assembly Codes Committee, and Senator Klein's identical bill is still pending in the Senate Health Committee, competing bills that would simply ban sales to minors have been introduced in both the Senate and Assembly. These vastly improved proposals, S2926 and A6667, are currently pending in the Senate and Assembly Health Committees.

Here are both sets of bills on the NYS legislative website, so you can see their sponsors, compare their contents, and track their progress: See S2926/A6667 at http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S2926-2011 and S695-2011/A1468 at http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S695-2011.

The introduction of these competing bills is very good news for New York State, and we call on all CASAA members and other concerned persons to begin a new round of campaigning in New York, and to join us in calling, writing, faxing, emailing, and meeting in person with legislators in support of S2926/A6667, while at the same time denouncing S695-2011/A1468.

Residents of New York State should definitely meet face-to-face with their own Senator and Assemblyperson to express their support for S2926/A6667's ban on sales to minors, and their strong oppostion to Rosenthal and Klein's misguided attempt to ban sales to adults with S695-2011/A1468.

However, the biggest push right now for anyone who is willing to help, while these bills are all still in committee, should be to contact all the Senate and Assembly Health Committee members with that same message. Additionally, the Assembly Codes Committee members need to be made aware of the newer A6667, and our support for it, as it supplies a cogent reason for them to reject Rosenthal's A1468, even though they themselves do not as of yet have A6667 before them.

Here is the contact list for the Senate Health Committee: http://www.casaa.org/CTA/article.asp?articleID=153&l=a&p=

Here is the contact list for the Assembly Health committee: http://www.casaa.org/news/article.asp?articleID=154&l=a&p=

And here is the contact list for the Assembly Codes committee: http://www.casaa.org/news/article.asp?articleID=155&l=a&p=

What to say:

(Feel free to copy & paste.)

1. When addressing:

Assembly members: Support A6667 that would ban sales to minors, and oppose A1468 that would ban all sales.

Senators: Support S2926 that would ban sales to minors, and oppose S695-2011 that would ban all sales.

2. Tell your story on how switching to an e-cigarette has changed your life.

3. Research shows that over 99% of the diseases and deaths associated with tobacco use are caused by hazardous levels of carcinogens and toxins carried in the smoke itself. Because e-cigarettes do not expose the user to smoke, experts believe they carry little to no significant health risks.

4. Smokers who cannot or will not quit using tobacco should be encouraged to switch to a smokeless alternative such as e-cigarettes, which would greatly decrease their health risks.

5. To encourage adult smokers to use reduced-harm products such as e-cigarettes, these products should be made as accessible and affordable as cigarettes. A1468 (S685-2011 if addressing a senator) would ban a smokeless, low-risk product, leaving the most dangerous product—tobacco cigarettes—readily available.

6. All evidence to date shows that the low health risks associated with electronic cigarettes is comparable to medicinal nicotine products and experts believe that there should be no significant risk to users or bystanders. This is supported by research done by Dr. Siegel of Boston University, Dr. Eissenberg of Virginia Commonwealth University and Dr. Laugesen of Health New Zealand. FDA testing, in spite of its press statement, failed to find harmful levels of carcinogens or toxic levels of any chemical in the vapor.

7. Since 2003, there have been no reports of serious adverse reactions or deaths associated with e-cigarette use. It makes no sense to ban a product which has resulted in no consumer complaints and by all accounts is actually improving public health.

8. I strongly support A6667 (S2926 if speaking to a Senatory) that would ban sales to minors, even though there is absolutely no evidence that e-cigarettes are particularly attractive to minors. Because e-cigarettes are largely used by middle-aged smokers, the product has no allure to youth. The products are also expensive to start up and require extensive maintenance.

9. Claims made that e-cigarette flavors target youth are unsubstantiated. Nicotine gums and lozenges, both of which are adult products, come in Fruit Chill, Cinnamon Surge, Fresh Mint, Cappuccino, Cherry and Orange. The solution is not to take health choices away from adults, but to protect children by prohibiting sales to minors and enforce those laws.

10. Direct them to the CASAA.org web site for more information

Finally, here is a pre-written template letter suitable for faxing or mailing. Please consider adding to or modifying its content to personalize the letter. Be sure to insert the Senator or Assembly person's name at the beginning, and sign your name at the end. And if you are a New York resident, be sure to include your address:

http://www.casaa.org/files/New_York_CTA_Template_Letter(5).doc

Uma · December 15, 2013

NEW UPDATE!!!! (12-13-13).

Aaaccck! They're at it again. Write, call, tweet, whatever you can do. If you don't live there, then approach it as a TOURIST or BUSINESS PERSON, or whatever you may be. This will affect everybody who lives there, & who VISITS there.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/legislation-news/502891-updated-casaa-call-action-urge-new-york-city-council-reject-proposed-e-cig-usage-ban-asap.html#post11559881

http://blog.casaa.org/2013/11/call-to-action-new-york-city-e.html

If enacted, these ordinances would:

Include e-cigarettes in New York City's "Smoke-Free Air Act”

Ban e-cigarette use in all locations where smoking is prohibited in New York City, including bars, restaurants, private workplaces, outdoor dining areas and parks.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and Councilman James F. Gennaro are both just a few weeks away from the end of their terms as NYC officials. Bloomberg and company, having failed in their push to enact a de facto ban on flavored e-cigarette sales in the city, have decided to again bully ex-smokers in NYC by attempting to push through an ordinance that would ban the use of electronic cigarettes in all indoor and outdoor areas of the city where smoking is banned.

On Wednesday, December 4th, the New York City Council held a hearing on these ordinances, with approximately 50 harm reduction advocates attending and many speaking in opposition to the plan. Following the hearing, two positive articles on e-cigarettes were published in the New York Times (“Two Cheers for E-Cigarettes,” “The Case for Tolerating E-Cigarettes”). Additionally, on Monday, December 9th, a committee in the Chicago City Council declined to railroad through a ban similar to one proposed by the Bloomberg administration ("Surprise Opposition Derails Emauel's E-Cigarette Ban").

The NYC ordinance was originally set to be voted on by the Health Committee on Wednesday, December 11th. However, we’ve learned that the vote has been delayed, perhaps until Wednesday, December 18th. The goal is to then have the full Council immediately vote on it on Thursday, December 19th at their meeting at 1:30 PM at City Hall (260 Broadway).

Important Note for New York City Residents: Vapers and advocates cannot wait until the Health Committee acts on this ordinance to decide whether to contact other members of the NYC Council. It is imperative that NYC residents who respond to this Call to Action not just contact the full Council, but also the Council member who represents each individual person's district. Click here to find out who represents you on the New York City Council. We highly recommend calling their legislative office and respectfully making clear that you are in the legislator’s district and have a strong opinion about the e-cigarette ordinance. You can even ask for a meeting or return phone call.

NYC and Nearby Residents: Please Contact All the Members of the New York City Council

1. You would like them to OPPOSE the proposed ordinance to falsely redefine "smoking" to include use of a smoke-free electronic cigarette.

2. Tell your story on how switching to an e-cigarette has changed your life.

3. Explain how smoking bans are enacted to protect the public from the harm of secondhand smoke, but e-cigarettes have not been shown to cause harm to bystanders. In fact, all evidence to date shows that the low health risks associated with e-cigarettes is comparable to other smokeless nicotine products.

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 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.

Additionally, a study by the Roswell Park Center that was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that the levels of chemicals and toxicants in the vapor produced by 12 different e-cigarettes 9-450x less than in cigarette smoke. The authors noted that the trace levels of chemicals present were comparable to what is found in a FDA-approved nicotine inhaler.

4. Detail how electronic cigarette use is easy to distinguish from actual smoking. Although some e-cigarettes resemble real cigarettes, many do not. It is easy to tell when someone lights a cigarette from the smell of smoke. E-cigarette vapor is practically odorless, and generally any detectable odor is not unpleasant and smells nothing like smoke. Additionally, e-cigarette users can decide whether to release any vapor ("discreet vaping"). With so little evidence of use, enforcing indoor use bans on electronic cigarettes would be nearly impossible.

5. Inform them that the ability to use electronic cigarettes in public spaces will actually improve public health by inspiring other smokers to switch. Surveys of thousands of users indicate that the majority of those who switch, completely replace tobacco cigarettes with the electronic cigarettes, reducing their health risks by 98-99%.

6. Tell them that by switching to a smokeless product, you have greatly reduced your health risks.

7. Direct them to the CASAA.org website, as well as the CASAA Research Library, for more information.

(UPDATED!) NYC CTA Indoor Use Ban Hearing 12-4-13

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Call to Action! New York City E-Cigarette Usage Ban --

Local Law 7248 (vote may happen soon!)

UPDATE 12/12/13: regarding upcoming Health Committee vote and contact lists.

[legislative tracking + full text]