Tobacco harm reduction news for March 20, 2019. Calls to Action for North Dakota and Isanti, Minnesota. Anti tobacco harm reduction laws in Delaware, Arkansas, California, Massachusetts and Illinois. San Francisco moves to ban vapor products,. Beware becoming the “boiling frog.”
NORTH DAKOTA: (CALL TO ACTION!) The minor “flavor ban” bill we mentioned yesterday has been amended into a TAX BILL, adding a 28% wholesale tax to #vaping products! Click the link for form to SEND A MESSAGE to fight this unreasonable taxation!
ND – Stop a Flavor Ban
ISANTI COUNTY, MINNESOTA: (CALL TO ACTION!) Public hearing TODAY at 10 AM regarding ordinance denying early ADULT #vapers and #smokers access to far safer #vaping and #smokefree products! Please attend hearing or click link to send a message NOW!
MN – Isanti County – Stop Tobacco AND Vapor 21!
IN THE NEWS: (SAN FRANCISCO, CA) After banning flavors, city leaders are now proposing an outright ban of ALL #vaping product SALES in and DELIVERY to the city, claiming they’re only “in the business of getting people addicted or keeping them addicted.”
Juul labs says it supports city’s efforts to curb youth access to e-cigarettes
DELAWARE: (UPDATE) Bill denying early ADULT #smokers & #vapers access to the much safer alternative #vaping & #smokefree products that could actually eliminate #smoking has passed Senate, now moving to House. Watch for updated Call to Action!
Delaware lawmakers moves closer to ban sale of cigarettes to people under 21
ARKANSAS: (UPDATE) Outrageous “tax the poor to give the poor tax relief” bill SB571 (a 67% wholesale vapor tax) & denying early ADULT #smokers & #vapers access to much safer alternative products, has passed Senate, now moving back to final vote in House.
Arkansas bill on smoking age, cancer center funding advances
THE MORE YOU KNOW:
Give them an inch…
(1979) “There’s no slippery slope! We just want non-smoking areas, not to ban smoking in people’s homes.”
(2019) All but one city in Sonoma County, CA now bans smoking/vaping in apartments (ie. people’s homes.)
Healdsburg moves to prohibit smoking in apartments, hotels
Remember this when they claim “We don’t want to ban vaping, we just want a sin tax/flavor ban/indoor ban/age raise…” Conceding to one “reasonable demand” won’t stop them from the next one and the next one and the next one. Classic “boiling frog” tactic. Don’t fall for it.
YARMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS: (UPDATE) City decides AGAINST total #vaping product ban. The Board of Health determined it “should go with an education program first….” The city has already banned flavors and passed Tobacco 21.
https://bit.ly/2CufiqJ
ILLINOIS: (UPDATE) SB 1124, which would increase the tax on #vaping products from 6.25% to 36% & SB 1864, prohibiting businesses from allowing vaping, moved out of committee. Contact your representatives!
Despite concerns, measure to tax vaping products the same as tobacco products moves forward
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA: (UPDATE) City rejects retailers’ offer to scan IDs and take hefty fines for underage sales and will instead vote on risking adult lives with a BAN of all flavored #vaping and #tobacco products next Tuesday, March 26th.
Sacramento Council Rejects Tobacco Industry Plan, Will Vote On Flavored Tobacco Ban Next Week
If you’re on Facebook, please be sure to join your CASAA state group to help prevent anti-harm reduction laws like these from spreading through your state! CASAA.org – The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association
This article was originally published at CASAA
Author: KNoll-Marsh