[ Just paste broken links shown in purple directly into your browser - the extra line doesn't matter. Pls. PM me if you have more recent info. about proposed/actual legislation, if you think I've missed an important story, or if you want more tweaks to the formatting program. ]
1) Smoking prevalance in the UK drops below 20% for the first time in decades to 19.3%.
2) Weatherford TX City Council Meeting on indoor vaping ban - Tues 6:30p.
3) Phillipines Rep. introduces bill to "inquire" into vaping, tax considered.
4) Legacy Foundation continues to buy advertising space to promote its junk study on internet vaping advertisements.
5) Consumer Reports' "don't try vaping to quit" junk story continues to spread.
6) IL st. Sen. introduces ban on smoking in cars containing minors - currently inapplicable to vaping.
7) West Deptford NJ bans vaping w/i 25 feet of municipal buildings, Councilwoman suggests that there's more to come.
8) Glantz gives a junk-filled interview to local SF CBS affiliate.
9) BAT still losing money on vaping (Vype campaign may change that).
Coverage: Phillipines; UK; US States: MA, NJ, PA, TX, IL, WI, CO, OR, CA
***
(Manila Phillippines local paper) http://www.mb
.com.ph/solon-wants-probe-on-impact-of-e-cigarette-smoking/
Rep. files house bill urging cmtes on Youth & Health to hold inquiry into vaping, expressing "concerns." Speculation about possible taxes.
***
(British Heart Foundation site) http://www.bhf
.org.uk/default.aspx?page=16810
Smoking prevelance in the UK has dropped to 19.3%, which is thought to be the lowest level in many decades. 22,000 adults were surveyed. No junk, but article doesn't cite a cause. However there are an est'd 1.6M vapers in the UK out of a population of approximately 63.2M, i.e. about 2.1% (which is about double the US rate). This means that the ratio of UK vapers to smokers is about 1:7.5, whick is also about twice the corresponding US figure.
(London UK nat'l paper) http://www.dailymail
.co.uk/money/markets/article-2565586/E-cigarettes-make-packet-British-American-Tobacco.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490
Very brief financial news article emphasizes that BAT is currently losing money on the vaping market. BAT makes Vype, and has just launched a large nationwide ad campaign.
***
(US amalgam site - Channel 4 News on the "minor gateway" argument) http://nicotinepolicy
.net/vids/83-videos-2014/969-e-cigarette-ban-for-under-18s-will-it-make-a-difference
A junk-free and quite sensible Channel 4 News presentation re: the argument that minors are taking up vaping, and/or moving on to tobacco cigarettes.
(US Nat'l site dedicated to prisons) https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/displayArticle.aspx?articleid=25760
Another article about how jails are selling PVs to prisoners at a significant profit and with good safety results. No junk.
(US Nat'l IT site) http://www.tmcnet
.com/usubmit/-new-study-investigates-online-tobacco-e-cigarette-advertising-/2014/02/22/7689892.htm
Legacy Foundation hit job study of vaping media ads. Apparently the Foundation is buying up space in various news amalgam sites (see yesterday's post from a SD CA CBS affiliate). These "stories" aren't marked as advertising or paid pieces, but rather as "third party content" etc. The Legacy Foundation is a (c)(3) funded by MSA monies.
***
(Boston MA US local paper) http://www.bostonglobe
.com/news/nation/2014/02/23/debate-emerges-whether-cigarettes-spur-use-tobacco/Ht5o9LUMM0oEeCDOO26TyN/story.html
Syndicated reprint of the NYT article covering the debate between Siegal and Glantz. See separate thread in Media.
[ HB 3726 would ban vaping wherever smoking is banned, see CASAA call: CASAA: Call to Action! Massachusetts E-Cigarette Usage Ban -- HB 3726 (formerly HB 3639) (UPDATED) ]
***
(NJ US Ind. Web site re: West Deptford)
City bans outdoor vaping w/i 25 ft. from municipal buildings. "Committeewoman Denice DiCarlo, while applauding the effort, said she would like to see the township go further in the future. 'I like this as a first step in the process,' she said. I think more research can be done into what more we can do.'" Nothing seems to be pending in NJ, one of the "early adopter" states with some of the harshest anti-vaping laws in the country. If you know differently, please PM me.
***
(Pittsburgh PA local paper amalgam site) http://triblive
.com/news/healthnews/5119592-74/cigarettes-electronic-choma#axzz2u9l2PZ00
Chock full-o'-junk (including FDA '09) story about simple minor ban introduced in the Penna. legislature. Noteworthy: "Members of the Pennsylvania Medical Society voted in October to ask the state legislature to pass electronic cigarette laws with safeguards equal to existing tobacco laws, including taxation and banning sales to minors." PA's SB1055, a simple minor sales ban, has passed through the Sen.
***
(Weatherford TX US local paper) http://www.weatherforddemocrat
.com/top-news/x488696892/Up-in-vapors
Surprisingly balanced article on Weatherford's proposed indoor vaping ban. City Council meets Tues Feb 25, at 6:30pm. Local vapers are encouraged to send letters to the editor and/or be there in person to comment. I'm not aware of any pending statewide legislation in TX, please PM me if you know differently.
***
(Goshen IN US local paper) http://www.goshennews
.com/local/x1783684705/New-store-caters-to-e-cigarette-users
Story announces new vape shop, reporter talks w/ owner. Completely junk-free.
[ Indiana passed a simple minor sales ban last year. Indiana's HB 1174 proposes to tax vaping in the same way as tobacco (24% of wholesale), it's still in Ways & Means. See: HB 1174: Taxation of electronic cigarettes. Amends the definition of tobacco product to include electronic cigarettes for purposes of the tobacco products tax. Hoosier Vapers and http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...5-hb-1174-taxation-electronic-cigarettes.html ]
***
(IL Quad Cities US NBC affiliate) http://www.kwqc
.com/story/24795989/illinois-looking-to-ban-smoking-while-driving
IL bill to ban smoking while driving. This is SB2659, which is presently not defined to include vaping. See: Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for SB2659
[ IL currently considering two bills that require vaping supplies (but not non-cigarette tobacco) to be behind the counter, see: _http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/legislation-news/529410-illinois-bills-hb-5868-sb-3268-would-require-all-e-cigs-but-not-cigars-smokeless-pipe-tobacco-behind-retail-counter-exempts-tobacco-specialty-stores.html and one bill that would require special packaging: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-e-cig-products-sold-il-protect-children.html ]
***
(Appleton WI US local paper) http://www.postcrescent
.com/article/20140222/APC06/302220101/Silver-Pen-letter-E-cigarettes-carry-risks-youth-public
Hit job piece by local health Dep't official. My favorite part of this junky piece of trash is the first sentence which asserts that glycerine is a "harmful substance." Doesn't get much worse than this.
[ WI has two bills that would explicitly exempt from the state Indoor Clean Air Act, which CASAA strongly supports: CASAA: Call to Action! UPDATED: SUPPORT Wisconsin SB 440 and AB 762 EXEMPTING E-cigarettes from public use bans! ]
***
(Denver CO US NBC affiliate) http://www.9news
.com/money/378748/344/Consumer-Reports-E-cigarettes-under-the-microscope
It's that dreadful Consumer Reports "don't try vaping to quit" story again. I've lost count of the republicatins.
[ Looks like CO is considering raising the age for vaping to 21, and also (?) banning on-line sales: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...cluding-empty-e-cigs-without-seeing-id-2.html ]
***
(OR US PBS web site) http://www.opb
.org/news/article/npr-electronic-cigarettes-and-the-appearance-of-smoking/
Mostly junk-free pro-vaping article - not what I anticipated upon reading it. Basically the author argues that the rush to ban vaping is based on the fact that vaping looks like smoking to onlookers. The small bit of junk comes from an obligatory ANTZ quote. In this year's OR legislative session both a simple minor sales ban and a vaping=smoking extension to OR's clean air act died. Look for plenty of local jurisdictions in OR to start acting soon.
***
(SF CA US Affiliate) http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal
.com/2014/02/17/kcbs-in-depth-ucsf-dr-stanton-glantz-on-smoking-and-the-tobacco-industry/
"In depth" interview w/ Stanton Glantz, is chock-full-of-junk. Among other zingers, he says that California could "completely end tobacco as a public health problem in 3-5 years." Dismisses vaping as unhelpful, since "most people" who vape are "continuing to smoke cigarettes," and [therefore] vaping should be taxed just as heavily since "if you're jumping out of the tenth story of the bulding instead of the 50th story, it's still bad. Accuses BT of "manag[ing] the market to encourage dual use." Interviewers don't challenge anything he says, and hang on every word. (Apparently the "in depth" segment is intended to be a platform for the interviewee.)
[ CA is under threat from a wide variety of legislation, such as an internet sales ban: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-shipment-e-cigarettes-anyone-california.html ]
***
Tip: to see whether there are bad things happening where you live, try this Google search (example for Rhode Island) -
rhode site:casaa.org
(Replace rhode with a single word that describes your city, county, or state. For ex., if you live in Eau Claire, WI - you might use "Claire" to see if something is being proposed at the city level. Don't forget the : (colon), and be sure that there's nothing before or after the colon (not even spaces or tabs.)
You can also try replacing site:casaa.org with e-cigarette to find out what the media is reporting in your area. This is usually most helpful if you use the search tools to search by date. (CASAA doesn't generally issue calls or alerts until a bill is out of a state legislative committee, or is scheduled for a local city or county hearing.)
1) Smoking prevalance in the UK drops below 20% for the first time in decades to 19.3%.
2) Weatherford TX City Council Meeting on indoor vaping ban - Tues 6:30p.
3) Phillipines Rep. introduces bill to "inquire" into vaping, tax considered.
4) Legacy Foundation continues to buy advertising space to promote its junk study on internet vaping advertisements.
5) Consumer Reports' "don't try vaping to quit" junk story continues to spread.
6) IL st. Sen. introduces ban on smoking in cars containing minors - currently inapplicable to vaping.
7) West Deptford NJ bans vaping w/i 25 feet of municipal buildings, Councilwoman suggests that there's more to come.
8) Glantz gives a junk-filled interview to local SF CBS affiliate.
9) BAT still losing money on vaping (Vype campaign may change that).
Coverage: Phillipines; UK; US States: MA, NJ, PA, TX, IL, WI, CO, OR, CA
***
(Manila Phillippines local paper) http://www.mb
.com.ph/solon-wants-probe-on-impact-of-e-cigarette-smoking/
Rep. files house bill urging cmtes on Youth & Health to hold inquiry into vaping, expressing "concerns." Speculation about possible taxes.
***
(British Heart Foundation site) http://www.bhf
.org.uk/default.aspx?page=16810
Smoking prevelance in the UK has dropped to 19.3%, which is thought to be the lowest level in many decades. 22,000 adults were surveyed. No junk, but article doesn't cite a cause. However there are an est'd 1.6M vapers in the UK out of a population of approximately 63.2M, i.e. about 2.1% (which is about double the US rate). This means that the ratio of UK vapers to smokers is about 1:7.5, whick is also about twice the corresponding US figure.
(London UK nat'l paper) http://www.dailymail
.co.uk/money/markets/article-2565586/E-cigarettes-make-packet-British-American-Tobacco.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490
Very brief financial news article emphasizes that BAT is currently losing money on the vaping market. BAT makes Vype, and has just launched a large nationwide ad campaign.
***
(US amalgam site - Channel 4 News on the "minor gateway" argument) http://nicotinepolicy
.net/vids/83-videos-2014/969-e-cigarette-ban-for-under-18s-will-it-make-a-difference
A junk-free and quite sensible Channel 4 News presentation re: the argument that minors are taking up vaping, and/or moving on to tobacco cigarettes.
(US Nat'l site dedicated to prisons) https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/displayArticle.aspx?articleid=25760
Another article about how jails are selling PVs to prisoners at a significant profit and with good safety results. No junk.
(US Nat'l IT site) http://www.tmcnet
.com/usubmit/-new-study-investigates-online-tobacco-e-cigarette-advertising-/2014/02/22/7689892.htm
Legacy Foundation hit job study of vaping media ads. Apparently the Foundation is buying up space in various news amalgam sites (see yesterday's post from a SD CA CBS affiliate). These "stories" aren't marked as advertising or paid pieces, but rather as "third party content" etc. The Legacy Foundation is a (c)(3) funded by MSA monies.
***
(Boston MA US local paper) http://www.bostonglobe
.com/news/nation/2014/02/23/debate-emerges-whether-cigarettes-spur-use-tobacco/Ht5o9LUMM0oEeCDOO26TyN/story.html
Syndicated reprint of the NYT article covering the debate between Siegal and Glantz. See separate thread in Media.
[ HB 3726 would ban vaping wherever smoking is banned, see CASAA call: CASAA: Call to Action! Massachusetts E-Cigarette Usage Ban -- HB 3726 (formerly HB 3639) (UPDATED) ]
***
(NJ US Ind. Web site re: West Deptford)
City bans outdoor vaping w/i 25 ft. from municipal buildings. "Committeewoman Denice DiCarlo, while applauding the effort, said she would like to see the township go further in the future. 'I like this as a first step in the process,' she said. I think more research can be done into what more we can do.'" Nothing seems to be pending in NJ, one of the "early adopter" states with some of the harshest anti-vaping laws in the country. If you know differently, please PM me.
***
(Pittsburgh PA local paper amalgam site) http://triblive
.com/news/healthnews/5119592-74/cigarettes-electronic-choma#axzz2u9l2PZ00
Chock full-o'-junk (including FDA '09) story about simple minor ban introduced in the Penna. legislature. Noteworthy: "Members of the Pennsylvania Medical Society voted in October to ask the state legislature to pass electronic cigarette laws with safeguards equal to existing tobacco laws, including taxation and banning sales to minors." PA's SB1055, a simple minor sales ban, has passed through the Sen.
***
(Weatherford TX US local paper) http://www.weatherforddemocrat
.com/top-news/x488696892/Up-in-vapors
Surprisingly balanced article on Weatherford's proposed indoor vaping ban. City Council meets Tues Feb 25, at 6:30pm. Local vapers are encouraged to send letters to the editor and/or be there in person to comment. I'm not aware of any pending statewide legislation in TX, please PM me if you know differently.
***
(Goshen IN US local paper) http://www.goshennews
.com/local/x1783684705/New-store-caters-to-e-cigarette-users
Story announces new vape shop, reporter talks w/ owner. Completely junk-free.
[ Indiana passed a simple minor sales ban last year. Indiana's HB 1174 proposes to tax vaping in the same way as tobacco (24% of wholesale), it's still in Ways & Means. See: HB 1174: Taxation of electronic cigarettes. Amends the definition of tobacco product to include electronic cigarettes for purposes of the tobacco products tax. Hoosier Vapers and http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...5-hb-1174-taxation-electronic-cigarettes.html ]
***
(IL Quad Cities US NBC affiliate) http://www.kwqc
.com/story/24795989/illinois-looking-to-ban-smoking-while-driving
IL bill to ban smoking while driving. This is SB2659, which is presently not defined to include vaping. See: Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for SB2659
[ IL currently considering two bills that require vaping supplies (but not non-cigarette tobacco) to be behind the counter, see: _http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/legislation-news/529410-illinois-bills-hb-5868-sb-3268-would-require-all-e-cigs-but-not-cigars-smokeless-pipe-tobacco-behind-retail-counter-exempts-tobacco-specialty-stores.html and one bill that would require special packaging: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-e-cig-products-sold-il-protect-children.html ]
***
(Appleton WI US local paper) http://www.postcrescent
.com/article/20140222/APC06/302220101/Silver-Pen-letter-E-cigarettes-carry-risks-youth-public
Hit job piece by local health Dep't official. My favorite part of this junky piece of trash is the first sentence which asserts that glycerine is a "harmful substance." Doesn't get much worse than this.
[ WI has two bills that would explicitly exempt from the state Indoor Clean Air Act, which CASAA strongly supports: CASAA: Call to Action! UPDATED: SUPPORT Wisconsin SB 440 and AB 762 EXEMPTING E-cigarettes from public use bans! ]
***
(Denver CO US NBC affiliate) http://www.9news
.com/money/378748/344/Consumer-Reports-E-cigarettes-under-the-microscope
It's that dreadful Consumer Reports "don't try vaping to quit" story again. I've lost count of the republicatins.
[ Looks like CO is considering raising the age for vaping to 21, and also (?) banning on-line sales: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...cluding-empty-e-cigs-without-seeing-id-2.html ]
***
(OR US PBS web site) http://www.opb
.org/news/article/npr-electronic-cigarettes-and-the-appearance-of-smoking/
Mostly junk-free pro-vaping article - not what I anticipated upon reading it. Basically the author argues that the rush to ban vaping is based on the fact that vaping looks like smoking to onlookers. The small bit of junk comes from an obligatory ANTZ quote. In this year's OR legislative session both a simple minor sales ban and a vaping=smoking extension to OR's clean air act died. Look for plenty of local jurisdictions in OR to start acting soon.
***
(SF CA US Affiliate) http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal
.com/2014/02/17/kcbs-in-depth-ucsf-dr-stanton-glantz-on-smoking-and-the-tobacco-industry/
"In depth" interview w/ Stanton Glantz, is chock-full-of-junk. Among other zingers, he says that California could "completely end tobacco as a public health problem in 3-5 years." Dismisses vaping as unhelpful, since "most people" who vape are "continuing to smoke cigarettes," and [therefore] vaping should be taxed just as heavily since "if you're jumping out of the tenth story of the bulding instead of the 50th story, it's still bad. Accuses BT of "manag[ing] the market to encourage dual use." Interviewers don't challenge anything he says, and hang on every word. (Apparently the "in depth" segment is intended to be a platform for the interviewee.)
[ CA is under threat from a wide variety of legislation, such as an internet sales ban: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-shipment-e-cigarettes-anyone-california.html ]
***
Tip: to see whether there are bad things happening where you live, try this Google search (example for Rhode Island) -
rhode site:casaa.org
(Replace rhode with a single word that describes your city, county, or state. For ex., if you live in Eau Claire, WI - you might use "Claire" to see if something is being proposed at the city level. Don't forget the : (colon), and be sure that there's nothing before or after the colon (not even spaces or tabs.)
You can also try replacing site:casaa.org with e-cigarette to find out what the media is reporting in your area. This is usually most helpful if you use the search tools to search by date. (CASAA doesn't generally issue calls or alerts until a bill is out of a state legislative committee, or is scheduled for a local city or county hearing.)
