Heads Up – News – Updates 10.09.2019

IN THE NEWS: Washington Examiner article on vaping advocates fighting the coming Trump flavor ban quotes CASAA national policy director Julie Woessner.

“We’re ignoring the needs and rights of adults to make more choices in their lives.”

“People who voted for Trump felt he supported the free market, small businesses, consumer choice.”

“It’s pretty much betrayal.”

Vaping advocates gear up to fight Trump proposed ban on flavors


EL CAJON, CALIFORNIA: (URGENT CALL TO ACTION!) City Council MEETING TUES. OCT. 8th at 3 PM! Under normal circumstances this new ordinance might take two months to work its way through the process, but elected officials are being pressured to issue EMERGENCY actions that are hastily banning flavored products NOT linked to the lung injuries, so we urge advocates to attend ALL meetings!

http://bit.ly/2oVisA1


SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA: (CALL TO ACTION!) Board of Supervisors MEETING TUES., OCT. 15th 9AM, proposed VAPOR PRODUCT FLAVOR BAN and possible TOTAL BAN (until PMTA approval). City residents need to take a stand against these irrational & unreasonable laws!!

CA – San Diego County – Stop a Flavor Ban!


TENNESSEE: (HEADS UP!)
CASAA is aware of the ANTZ call on Gov. Lee to ban flavors and we will continue to let the Tennessee Smoke-free Association take the lead, as they’ve been working hard both behind the scenes and in the media for many years. CASAA will definitely release a Call to Action, in cooperation with TSFA, if and when it’s been determined the time is right.

So, please do not start organizing rallies or calling the governor just yet! Of course, CASAA will continue to coordinate efforts with and support other state and national advocacy and trade organizations!

Tennessee healthcare organizations call on lawmakers to ban flavored vaping products


IN THE NEWS: (CNN) Advocates throw down the gauntlet, “We vape, we vote!”

“Rather than just vote a party ticket, they may in fact change their vote for anybody who comes out and wants to have a critical conversation about vaping.” ~CASAA CEO Alex Clark

“Political groups are starting to notice that vaping is an identity, not just a hobby.”

“The seeds of a grassroots movement seem to be in place. The organizing and get-out-the-vote work is happening online and in vape shops…”

‘We Vape, We Vote’: How vaping crackdowns are politicizing vapers – CNN


COMMENTARY: (Jacob Sullum)

“As evidence mounted that vaping-related lung diseases overwhelmingly involved black-market cannabis products…officials have been vaguely and unhelpfully warning us about the hazards of vaping and e-cigarettes.”

Black market pot — not vaping — most to blame for lung disease outbreak


IN THE NEWS: (NEW YORK) @NYGovCuomo caught in another lie to justify his irresponsible and inexcusable war on e-cigs that protects cigarette taxes and MSA funds. Source says teen was vaping cannabis (not typically used for the “flavors” that Cuomo banned) and M.E. hasn’t even confirmed cause of death.

Cuomo Says Bronx Teen is New York’s First Vaping-Related Death


MONTANA: (CALL TO ACTION!) Call Governor Bullock at (406) 444-3111 and tell him banning retail flavored e-cigarette products, that adults use to quit smoking WITHOUT ever raising teen smoking, WON’T stop the lung illnesses being caused by the deadly vapor products used to get high. Tell him how vaping has HELPED you!

MT – Call Gov. Bullock (406) 444-3111 – Rescind the Flavor Ban!


LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: (UPDATE & HEADS UP!) City bans retail flavored e-cigarettes, despite strong evidence they AREN’T a gateway to teen smoking and lung illness is clearly NOT from products used by adults to quit smoking and has nothing to do with flavors. Calls for governor to issue a TOTAL ban on vaping!

And after banning flavors, now City Councilman Paul Koretz yesterday proposed banning retail e-cigarettes from being sold in the city until they’re approved by the federal government and deemed safe.

E-cigarette sales could be banned in LA if councilman gets his way – Daily News

This article was originally published at CASAA
Author: KNoll-Marsh

Posted in Alex Clark, All posts, California, e cigarettes, El Cajon, flavor ban, Julie Woessner, Los Angeles, Montana, New York, News, news-all, San Diego, Smokeless Tobacco, Tennessee, Trump, Vaping, Vaping News | Comments Off on Heads Up – News – Updates 10.09.2019

Heads Up – News – Updates 10.04.2019

NEW YORK: (UPDATE) A New York court on Thursday temporarily halted a state ban on the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, giving the embattled vaping industry a breather just a day before the state’s prohibition was due to take effect.

New York court blocks state ban on flavored e-cigarettes


ADVOCACY: (NATIONAL SAVE VAPING DAY IS OCT 7th!) Organizers are asking vape shops, online retailers, distributors, manufacturers, and other entities that want to see vaping survive to donate some, or even all, of their profits for the day to consumer advocacy organizations!

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MARYLAND: (BREAKING NEWS) Judge allows vapor organizations to intervene for purpose of appeal in Maryland vapor case

Judge allows vapor organizations to intervene for purpose of appeal in Maryland vapor case


NEW JERSEY: (UPDATE) Governor Murphy announces recommendations of his task force on vaping, which included a ban on both flavors and online sales. Murphy said he doesn’t have the authority to ban flavors products by executive order. Both the task force and the governor blamed flavored retail products for the lung illness outbreak that has been more strongly linked to unrelated products sold on the street. The press conference was a farce that included such doozies as “There is no scientific evidence to date that identifies e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation product.” and “Fifty percent of people who use nicotine or tobacco products will die from it.”

It’s time to ban flavored vapes in N.J., task force demands. Murphy agrees.


OREGON: (UPDATE) Governor Brown orders 180-day ban on flavored vaping products, following other governors in falsely blaming nicotine vapor products (sold to help adults quit smoking) for the recent outbreak of lung illnesses. While the products most often linked to the illnesses are also flavored, the reason people use them is because they contain THC, the chemical found in cannabis that creates the “high.”

Gov. Brown orders 180-day ban on flavored vaping products in Oregon


LOS ANGELES: (UPDATE) Board of Supervisors unanimously passed ban of flavored tobacco and vapor products and is urging California Gov. Gavin Newsom to pass a statewide ban.

LA County Bans Flavored Tobacco, Urges Newsom to Ban Vaping in CA

This article was originally published at CASAA
Author: KNoll-Marsh

Posted in All posts, e cigarettes, flavor ban, Los Angeles, Maryland, National Save Vaping Day, New Jersey, New York, News, news-all, Oregon, Smokeless Tobacco, Vaping, Vaping News | Comments Off on Heads Up – News – Updates 10.04.2019

Heads Up – News – Updates 9.30.2019

WASHINGTON: (CALL TO ACTION!) @GovInslee announced Friday that he would be issuing an executive order directing the state Board of Health to ban all flavored vaping products, and says he’s just getting started. Attend the BOH meeting Oct. 9th!

WA – Emergency Alert! – Flavor Ban and Board of Health Hearing (10/09/2019)


RESEARCH: Are all Brits aliens? Because, according to US “experts,” vaping doesn’t help humans IN THE US quit, addicts non-smokers and is a teen smoking “gateway.” UK docs endorse vaping & see major success without those problems. So they MUST be aliens?

‘Majority of e-cigarette users are ex-smokers’ – Latest Pharmacy News | Business | Magazine – Pharmacy Business


OPINION: (Michelle Minton)

“Never let a crisis go to waste….With the aid of sloppy news reporting and biased announcements from federal officials, anti-tobacco advocates have successfully deceived the public into thinking that “vaping” is to blame.”

http://bit.ly/2n9phNK


SOUTH CAROLINA: (HEADS UP!) Sen. Darrell Jackson @dj1one is pressuring Gov. @henrymcmaster to declare 4-month ban on ALL retail vapor products due to completely unrelated lung illnesses strongly linked to street drugs. Call & tell the governor the facts!

http://bit.ly/2n9WoB9


DELAWARE: (HEADS UP!) Lawmakers in “early stages” of banning retail vaping flavors because of unrelated illnesses strongly linked to unregulated street drugs (that are technically already “banned.”) Note: Legislature is in recess until January.

Del. Lawmakers Take Aim at Vape Juice Ban to Protect Kids


BREAKING NEWS: (MICHIGAN) Federal court judges deny requests for a temporary halt to Governor’s emergency rules unfairly banning flavored retail vapor products. Both say they WOULD still consider the business’ requests for preliminary injunctions.

Judges deny requests for temporary halt to e-cigarette rules


BOGUS LAWS: More Tobacco/Vapor 21 state laws took effect this week. Are they evidence-based? Hawaii passed T21 back in January of 2016 & still has the 2nd-highest high school vaping rate in US, w/officials expecting to see another spike this year. So what’s the REAL agenda for passing these laws?

http://bit.ly/2nYxep8


THE MORE YOU KNOW: Connecticut Senator Tony Hwang inadvertently reveals the REAL reason his state needs to join the war on vaping.

From a $306+ million Master Settlement Agreement windfall, “$277 million has been redirected to non-tobacco-related programs.”

How will they fund those programs without cigarette sales?

Sen. Tony Hwang (opinion): A call to action on vaping

This article was originally published at CASAA
Author: KNoll-Marsh

Posted in All posts, Call to Action, Delaware, e cigarettes, Michelle Minton, Michigan, News, news-all, Research, Smokeless Tobacco, South Carolina, Vaping, Vaping News, Washington | Comments Off on Heads Up – News – Updates 9.30.2019

Heads Up – News – Updates 9.27.2019

OHIO: (CALL TO ACTION!) Rally at the Statehouse on OCt. 1st AND use our handy form to easily email/call your representatives in the Assembly, asking them to OPPOSE HB 346 & HB 347 and any other proposals that prohibit sales of life saving products!

OH – Rally At The OHIO Statehouse (10.01.19)!


WASHINGTON: (HEADS UP!) Gov. Inslee press conference at 11 AM (Pacific) to announce executive order. Likely jumping on flavor “ban” wagon, taking advantage of illnesses due to illegal street drugs to ban unrelated nicotine products helping adult smokers.

Inslee Executive Order On Vaping Expected Friday


OREGON: (HEADS UP!) Ban insanity virus spreads further to West Coast! Gov. Katie Brown is considering temporary ban on retail vapor products helping adults refrain from smoking, which would have ZERO effect on the already illegal street drugs that have been strongly linked to the recent outbreak.

http://bit.ly/2nLpXsC


RESEARCHER: Crusade Against Vaping Catastrophic for Public Health

“Climate of terror and intimidation against e-cigarettes, which is far from being justified, will very likely result in a massive wave of vapers relapsing to smoking.”

– Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos

http://bit.ly/2mpn9Bg

This article was originally published at CASAA
Author: KNoll-Marsh

Posted in All posts, Call to Action, e cigarettes, Konstantinos Farsalinos, News, news-all, Ohio, Oregon, Smokeless Tobacco, Vaping, Vaping News, Washington | Comments Off on Heads Up – News – Updates 9.27.2019

Heads Up – News – Updates 9.26.2019

MICHIGAN: (CALL TO ACTION!) HB 4996 would strip state’s DOH of the ability to ban manufacture/sale of vapor products.

Just 539 people have completed this Call to Action, which could UNDO the Michigan flavor ban. Folks, if you won’t stand up yourselves, don’t expect someone else will do it for you! YOU are CASAA! Take action now!

We need your help to get this bill moving! Take action NOW–>MI – Stop the Dept. of Health from Banning Vaping – SupporT HB 4996


PUBLIC HEALTH TRAGEDY: Poll shows more Americans are being MISLED to believe that vapor products aren’t safer alternatives to smoking or a good way to quit smoking. Most now convinced products need to be regulated like combustible cigarettes.

More Americans say vaping is as dangerous as smoking cigarettes: Reuters poll | Physician’s WeeklyMASSACHUSETTS: (EMERGENCY


CALL TO ACTION!) Vape shops being visited & shut down by law enforcement on Gov’s order. This is the most extreme (and outrageous) enforcement action to date. Consumers MUST RESPOND to this EXTREME GOVERNMENT OVERREACH!

MA – Emergency Alert! – End the War On Vaping!


RHODE ISLAND: (URGENT CALL TO ACTION!) Governor Raimondo is expected to announce an emergency order that would ban the sale of ALL vapor products that help adults who smoke TODAY. Tell her you OPPOSE this order! Call (401) 222-2080 NOW!

RI – Emergency Action! Call the Governor – Oppose the Vape Ban!


CONNECTICUT: (CALL TO ACTION!) Urge your lawmakers to resist calls to ban flavored e-liquid or going as far as enacting a Massachusetts-style total ban on sales of vapor products. Take Action NOW – Make A Call & Send A Message!

CT – Stop a Ban and Extreme Regulation on Vaping!


VIRGINIA: (HEADS UP!) @GovernorVA may issue “ban on vaping” in near future. Unclear if he intends to ban the new street drugs making people deathly ill or the legal nicotine products that have been helping adult smokers for over a decade without issue.

Gov. Northam considering ban on vaping in Virginia


MAINE: (HEADS UP!) Sen. Rebecca Millett introducing a bill to ban sale of all vaping products in the state until they have FDA approval. No worries. FDA-protected combustible cigarettes will still be sold throughout the state.

Maine lawmaker to introduce bill to ban sale of vaping products


VERMONT: (HEADS UP!) @GovPhilScott exploring whether the state should institute a ban on the sale of vaping products. He must like the pictures like this coming out of MA, showing cigarettes without competition, bringing in tax revenues and MSA funds.

Vermont considering banning sale of vaping products


NEW HAMPSHIRE: (HEADS UP!) “Thanks” to Rep. Knirk, ALL flavored vapor products that “obviously target teens, not adult smokers” would be banned. Adults who vape can buy the mint, orange, cinnamon, cherry or fruit chill nicotine gums that don’t target teens.NH lawmaker proposes flavored e-cigarette ban | News

This article was originally published at CASAA
Author: KNoll-Marsh

Posted in All posts, Call to Action, Connecticut, e cigarettes, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, News, news-all, Rhode Island, Smokeless Tobacco, Vaping, Vaping News, Vermont, Virginia | Comments Off on Heads Up – News – Updates 9.26.2019

CASAA – Heads Up Round Up – 09.22.19

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending and presenting at the VTA conference and Hill day in Washington, D.C. One might expect the event to be a solemn occasion marked by lots of business owners holding hands and crying on shoulders, the event was anything but that. There is a renewed vigor and fight in the business community and responses from consumers are helping.

In just a matter of three days, tens of thousands of people responded to our call for emails and phone calls to the President and members of Congress. Those messages were delivered while business owners took to Capitol Hill on Wednesday and are continuing to be delivered as more consumers get involved. While there is still a lot of uncertainty within the industry about how federal regulations will shake out, it is clear that we need more consumer voices.

Rather than focus on all of the bad news from the past week (there’s plenty of that in the links below), I want to take a moment to share some gratitude to all of our volunteers who are managing our state Facebook groups and helping to build our army of consumers. If you haven’t joined your state group yet, you can find a link to it in our “Get Involved” tab, under “Find My State Info,” here.

Vaping has always been a from-the-ground-up consumer movement. Although we are in the midst of some very dark times, pulling together and supporting one another is absolutely an unbreakable feature of the vaping community–even when things are rife with drama.

So, without further ado, a warm and sincere THANK YOU to all of the people working behind the scenes to build our community and make this a better place to vape.

Alabama: Shane Oakley, Michelle Hughes

Arkansas: Jacob Hubbard, Justin Yeates

California: Daniel Downes, Anthony Barajas-Carver

Colorado: Brie Starr,Ryan Breault

Connecticut: Christine Solazzo, Joseph Jay Cooper

Florida: Ricky Bright, Cindi Kinch, Nicholas Aaron Seabolt

Georgia: Amy Mohon, Tammy Michaud

Illinois: Mike Olson, Jennifer Buksar

Indiana: Jennifer Buksar, Heather R. Miller

Iowa: Missy Adams, Anthony Willwerth

Kansas: Ominette Celli

Kentucky: Ryan McDanel, Matt , Chad Johns, Amber Storer

Louisiana: Bella Yuce, Joseph Bullet Blanchard

Maryland: Amber Hetrisk Perdue

Massachusetts: Nick Green

Michigan: Jonathon Schnittker, Debbye Saladine Thompson, Jessica Roland

Missouri: Tyler Williamson, Marvin Cosper

Montana: Tim Mahoney, Tammie Auras

Nevada: Desiree Weiss

New York: Corey Olivieri, Duane Bazazian

North Carolina: Frank Randazzo, Allen Davis

North Dakota: Dan Tipton

Ohio: Lisa Combs Church, Amber Storer

Pennsylvania:  Greg Henry, Becca Blair

South Carolina:  Chrissie Eagle Littleton, Goldie Cooley, Bridget Leigh Williams

South Dakota:  Lee Stricherz, Jeff Porter

Tennessee:  Allen Davis, Mikael Billiter

Texas:  Kenneth Greenwood, Angela Renee Garrity

Utah: Leann Rietbrock

Vermont:  Joe Fiorini

Virginia: Yvonne Settembrino

Washington: Brett Colley

Wisconsin: Robb Ryan, Kristin Noll-Marsh

West Virginia: Bruce Gowans, Michael Hammond

Wyoming: Matt Jenkins

Stay safer,

Alex Clark, CEO

CASAA

This Week’s News:

Heads Up:

Tuesday, September 24 seems to be a popular day for pushing anti-vaping bills through various legislative bodies. This is not necessarily an exhaustive list, it’s just a collection of what we have right now. Be On the LookOut!

  • TAKE ACTION – IL – Public Meeting on 09.23.19 (Monday) – Mental Health Committee to Discuss a Response to “The Vaping Crisis.”
  • TAKE ACTION – NY – Albany County, PUBLIC HEARING on 09.24.19, 7:15 PM, on Local Law “E”, a flavor ban on vaping, but not combustible products.
  • TAKE ACTION – NY – Hempstead Twp., PUBLIC HEARING on 09.24.19, 7:00 PM, on a Flavor Ban ordinance.
  • TAKE ACTION – NJVaping Task Force, PUBLIC MEETING on 09.24.19, 4:00 PM. The dress code is business casual and anyone who plans to speak should be rehearsed and plan for 2 – 3 minutes.
  • TAKE ACTION – CA – Los Angeles County, Flavor Ban PUBLIC HEARING, 09.24.19, 9:30 AM
  • TAKE ACTION – CA – Burbank, Flavor Ban PUBLIC HEARING, 09.24.19, 6:00 PM.

Highlights: (Sept. 16) (Sept. 19) (Sept. 20)


  • Like getting this timely information? Help CASAA continue its mission by donating HERE.
  • 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! Click here to find your state group: CASAA State Facebook Group List
  • Find your state information here: Find My State Info – CASAA
  • And remember to officially join CASAA. Membership is FREE.

This article was originally published at CASAA
Author: Alex Clark

Posted in All posts, e cigarettes, News, news-all, Smokeless Tobacco, Vaping, Vaping News | Comments Off on CASAA – Heads Up Round Up – 09.22.19

Heads Up – News – Updates 9.20.2019

NEW JERSEY: (URGENT CALL TO ACTION!) @GovMurphy’s Task Force – based on illnesses caused by illegal, contaminated THC cartridges but instead targeting legal, UNRELATED flavored vapor products – is having a PUBLIC HEARING Tues, Sept. 24, 4-7PM. TAKE ACTION!

NJ – Public Meeting – Vaping Task Force – Sept. 24, 2019

MISSISSIPPI: (HEADS UP!) @MississippiAGO is running for governor and gunning for the legal vape products helping adults quit smoking, using the tragic death of a 27 yr old woman, who clarified using THC cartridges before getting sick, as a justification.

AG Hood looks to ban vaping in Mississippi


RESEARCH: If you watch or share anything today, it should be this CBS This Morning interview with New York University professor David Abrams laying out all of the FACTS about vaping! #truthbomb #vapingsaveslives

“There a very strong concern [in the US] that is more focused on both teens and the “evil” of the big tobacco industry that tends to distort the science and leads to exaggerated harms and omission of benefits.”

Public health expert worries e-cigarette panic is ruining “single biggest public health opportunity” in 120 years – CBS News


DAWSON COUNTY, GEORGIA: (UPDATE) VAPE BAN STOPPED! Showing what a determined and passionate group of people can do, vaping advocates convince county commissioners to back off from a flavor ban and denying license renewal for vape shops.

Commissioners hit pause button on vape ordinance – Dawson

This article was originally published at CASAA
Author: KNoll-Marsh

Posted in All posts, Call to Action, David Abrams, Dawson County, e cigarettes, flavor ban, Georgia, Mississippi, New Jersey, News, news-all, Smokeless Tobacco, Vaping, Vaping News | Comments Off on Heads Up – News – Updates 9.20.2019

Heads Up – News – Updates 9.19.2019

MICHIGAN: (UPDATE) Rep. Beau LaFave introduced new measure to eliminate governor’s ability to ban flavored vapor products without consent of lawmakers.

“The health director admitted to Rep. LaFave in a House Oversight Committee hearing last week that she had no idea 80 percent of adult e-cigarette users use flavored nicotine before they announced the flavor ban.

“The majority of adults who use e-cigarettes vape a flavor other than tobacco,” LaFave said. “This ban is an overreach that will potentially make criminals out of adults who are trying to use a safer alternative to kick the habit of traditional tobacco cigarettes. This will undoubtedly create a black market for these products which could be even more dangerous to public health.”

LaFave: Unwise unilateral executive action must be stopped


BREAKING NEWS: (NEW YORK) Health dept has approved Gov. Cuomo’s 90-day Exec. Order banning retail sales of all flavored vapor products (ex. tobacco and menthol). Yet NO evidence ban will reduce teen use or stop the unrelated contaminated THC illnesses.

http://bit.ly/2kS3lpp


BREAKING NEWS: Michigan retailers have 14 days to stop selling flavored vapor products under emergency rules the Department of Health and Human Services filed today. Yet NO evidence ban will reduce teen use or stop the unrelated contaminated THC illnesses.

Michigan officially bans sale of flavored e-cigarettes


OHIO: (HEADS UP!) Governor Mike DeWine says he’s looking into a statewide ban on flavored vapor products – those used by adults to successfully keep from smoking cigarettes – due to completely unrelated lung illnesses linked to contaminated street drugs.

http://bit.ly/2kGqcnT


SOUTH CAROLINA: (HEADS UP!) Representative Beth Bernstein drafting bill to pre-file in Dec. to ban flavored vapor products for ADULTS, based on reporting of a teen vaping “epidemic” that has been followed with a record low 5.8% national teen smoking rate.

SC lawmakers considering ban on flavored e-cigarette, vaping products, raising minimum age


SAN ANTONIO,TEXAS: (HEADS UP!) City attorney looking into City’s authority to ban flavored vapor products – those used by adults to successfully keep from smoking cigarettes – due to completely unrelated lung illnesses linked to contaminated street drugs.

EXCLUSIVE: S.A. Could Become First in Texas to Ban ‘Fruit Flavored’ Vaping | News Radio 1200 WOAI


ILLINOIS: (HEADS UP!) State lawmakers introducing bill to ban flavored vapor products – those used by adults to successfully keep from smoking cigarettes – due to completely unrelated lung illnesses linked to contaminated street drugs.

Illinois wants to ban flavored e-cigarettes


CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: (HEADS UP!) Mayor Lori Lightfoot wants FLAVOR BAN, while Alderman Raymond Lopez wants a COMPLETE BAN on vapor products, removing 95% safer products for adults while leaving cigarettes on every corner. How does an “epidemic” and “gateway to addiction” = US teen smoking at record 5.8% low??

Mayor Lori Lightfoot calls for ban on flavored e-cigarettes, while alderman says he’ll push to block sale of all vaping products in Chicago


NATIONAL: (HEADS UP!) Sens. Mitt Romney & Jeff Merkley introduced a bill banning flavored vapor products and applying cigarette taxes, among other measures to curb teen vaping, which HASN’T increased US teen smoking as feared – now at record low 5.8%.

https://cnb.cx/2kpWqn1

This article was originally published at CASAA
Author: KNoll-Marsh

Posted in All posts, Chicago, e cigarettes, flavor ban, Illinois, Michigan, New York, News, news-all, Newsom, Ohio, San Antonio, Smokeless Tobacco, South Carolina, Vaping, Vaping News | Comments Off on Heads Up – News – Updates 9.19.2019

Heads Up – News – Updates 9.16.2019

NEW JERSEY: (HEADS UP!) Governor Murphy @GovMurphy issued Exec Order Thurs. calling for vaping task force to issue restrictions in 3 weeks. Conflates nicotine devices with illegal street vapes causing illness, urges all NJ residents to stop ANY vaping.

‘There Is No Safe Vape’: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy Forms Vaping Task Force To Recommend Possible Restrictions On E-Cigarettes


NEW YORK STATE: (HEADS UP!) Gov. Cuomo @NYGovCuomo issued exec order for DOH commish Zucker to hold an emergency meeting w/PHHPC this week to ban flavored vapor products & more. At press confr. decries teen vaping uptick, ignores record low 5.8% smoking.

Governor Cuomo Announces Emergency Executive Action to Ban the Sale of Flavored E-Cigarettes


SAN JOSE, CA: (HEADS UP!) Councilwoman Carrasco @CM_Magdalena puts out memo calling for San Francisco-style ban on all vapor products (even tobacco-flavored) and flavored tobacco.

San Jose councilwoman proposes ban on vaping products


CALIFORNIA: (HEADS UP!) Gov. Newsom @CAgovernor issues exec order to CDPH to launch $20 mill statewide awareness campaign of vaping risks, remove counterfeit/illegal products, possible tax stamp/enforcement. Says he supports bill to ban flavors next session.

Governor Gavin Newsom Signs Executive Order to Confront Youth Vaping Epidemic


EXPERT OPINION: Former vice president and legislative counsel for the American Heart Association and chairman of the Coalition on Smoking or Health, Scott Ballin, says the message being sent on the federal level about nicotine vaping is “irresponsible.”

Vaping and lung illness: Scott Ballin says health officials send wrong message


SAN JOSE, CA: (HEADS UP!) Councilwoman Carrasco @CM_Magdalena puts out memo calling for San Francisco-style ban on all vapor products (even tobacco-flavored) and flavored tobacco. Flavors that ADULTS use to keep from relapsing to smoking!

San Jose councilwoman proposes ban on vaping products


EDITORIAL: (The Philadelphia Inquirer) Regulating e-cigarettes requires a scalpel, not a hammer–Instead of turning to prohibition to address vaping, regulation of e-cigarettes needs to be careful and nuanced.

Regulating e-cigarettes requires a scalpel, not a hammer | Editorial

This article was originally published at CASAA
Author: KNoll-Marsh

Posted in All posts, California, Cuomo, e cigarettes, flavor ban, Murphy, New Jersey, New York, News, news-all, Newsom, San Jose, Scott Ballin, Smokeless Tobacco, Vaping, Vaping News | Comments Off on Heads Up – News – Updates 9.16.2019

CASAA – Weekly Heads Up Round Up – 09.15.19

We’ve got a lot to cover this weekend, so you might want to grab a snack.

The #BreakingNews, today, is that NY Gov. Cuomo is announcing executive action to ban the sale of flavored vapor products in the state of New York.

While his announcement references the early data release from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) that shows youth vaping rose, again, to 28%, the governor neglected to mention that youth smoking is at historic lows after an unprecedented 28.4% decline–in one year.

Gov. Cuomo’s executive action includes the following:

  • “State Police and Department of Health (DOH) partner to immediately ramp up enforcement efforts against retailers who sell to underage youth – possibilities of criminal penalties.
  • “Advances legislation to eliminate deceptive marketing of e-cigarettes to children and underage youth.
  • “DOH Commissioner, Dr. Zucker, will hold emergency meeting with PHHPC to ban e-cigarette flavors.”

On the last point, CASAA has learned that the emergency meeting will likely produce a rule that bans the sale of flavored e-liquids for 90 days. The ban will be effective immediately with enforcement starting in early October (possibly 10/4). This means that a ban would be in place until close to the start of the 2020 legislative session.

For most–if not all–vape shops in New York, even a 30-day ban on sales of flavored e-liquid means they will be closing their doors and not returning.

To date, none of the “vaping lung illness” cases are being linked to a commercially available nicotine vapor product.

But state and federal officials keep banging on about how all “vaping” is bad.

Banning FDA-compliant, commercially available flavored nicotine vapor products will not solve the issue of people being exposed to a lung irritant that has now claimed the lives of six people. Arguably, a ban will make this situation worse.

Under the existing regulations for nicotine vapor products, manufacturers are required to register with the FDA all of the products they sell and the ingredient listings. FDA is also responsible for inspecting manufacturing facilities. If these products are banned, a new industry–existing in the shadows–will spring up to take the place of the one we have today. There will be no track-and-trace, no oversight, and no accountability.

The sudden onset of these lung illnesses suggests that this is the result of a chemical exposure to an ingredient or contaminant that has recently made its way into a yet-to-be identified product. If this is traceable back to nicotine liquids, the manufacturer responsible would be subject to penalties from the FDA.

Last Friday (09/07), CASAA posted an advisory in response to warnings from state and federal health officials regarding the lung illnesses. While these warnings include information that oil-based cannabis products were being linked to many of the cases, most of the warnings devote a disproportionate amount of space describing potential sources of harm from vaping nicotine. CASAA’s advisory is intended for anyone who is frightened by reports that are broadly attributing the lung illnesses to “vaping” and might be deciding to return to smoking. Please don’t go back to smoking. There are other alternatives!

Donald Trump said some stuff about vaping. It was not great.

On Wednesday, President Trump announced that he would be directing Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Alex Azaar, to move forward with FDA guidance that would remove flavored vapor products (other than tobacco or unflavored) from the market. The announcement is in response to early data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) showing that past 30-day vaping among young people rose from 21% in 2018 to 28% in 2019.

While the White House is obviously concerned about the rise in youth vaping, no one in the administration is drawing attention to the fact that NYTS data also show an accelerated decline in youth smoking (mentioned above).

Your messages to federal lawmakers are being sent this week.

Timed to coincide with the VTA’s industry conference and Hill Day, this week, CASAA will be delivering messages from more than 10,000 people, urging Congress to reject legislation that would ban flavors, enact taxes, and, in one proposal, require that vapor products be approved only as medical devices. If you haven’t sent your message, please take action NOW!

Here’s the link: https://www.votervoice.net/CASAA/campaigns/68346/respond

The past month has been dizzying and there’s no sign of this letting up. Sigh.

Stay safer,

Alex Clark, CEO

CASAA

This Week’s News:

Heads Up:

Highlights: (Sept. 9), (Sept. 10), (Sept. 11), (Sept. 13)

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CASAA In the News:

The More You Know:

Legislation

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This article was originally published at CASAA
Author: Alex Clark

Posted in All posts, CASAA in the News, e cigarettes, News, news-all, Smokeless Tobacco, Vaping, Vaping News | Comments Off on CASAA – Weekly Heads Up Round Up – 09.15.19