Minnesota county wants to classify vaping as smoking.

[R. Scott Kennan]

I don't live in Minnesota yet, but I plan to move there within a few years. Therefore, I'm on the Casaa list for MN. Through that list I found out today that a county in northern MN wants to classify vaping as smoking, which would mean that even in dedicated vape stores, it would become illegal to vape indoors in public places.

If you're in the area, there is a public hearing on is November 19th at 5 PM in the County Board Room of the County Administration Building, 701 Minnesota Avenue, Bemidji, MN.

Here's an article.

Beltrami County Board: County moving forward with vaping ban | Bemidji Pioneer

and here's a letter to the editor written in support of the ban:

Letter: Beltrami County urged to ban e-cigarettes | Bemidji Pioneer

Thanks for reading.

 

[Boiler]

Minnesota is at the forefront of anti e-cigarette zealotry.

 

[R. Scott Kennan]

Minnesota is at the forefront of anti e-cigarette zealotry.

That really sucks. I have been looking forward to moving there.

 

[toddrhodes]

What's really disheartening is that her letter had absolutely no substance to it. No facts, just conjecture and ignorance. Hard to reason with someone who blindly commits to a stance like she is doing. Basically repeating the past to avoid the future. Super smart and super rational, for sure.

 

[Jay-dub]

Hope you can organize enough people to put the fear of God into them. You know... in an informative way.

 

[toddrhodes]

Just let them know you'll go back to smoking, drop your insurance, and make the state pay for your health care. Higher taxes for everyone!

... that's not really possible these days but if you hit the government where it hurts, in its wallet, you'll get an audience.

 

[EleanorR]

This just takes a special kind of stupid.

 

[Lowstorm]

Hey there! We're trying to organize a bunch of us to get there. Meeting at the local vaping shop and walking down to the county offices. If anyone wants to write e-mails and (decent) letters, I can get the info for ya'll. I'll also be recording those of us brave enough to speak about it.

We already got the city to remove the wording from its ordinance, and they decided to rely on the county to put up the fight. If the turn-out is like the one for the city of Bemidji, there'll be a lot of people saying 'Stop the ordinance' and 3 to 6 for it. PLUS we've had the commissioners actually trying to find out more on their own! So we're hoping all goes well on Tuesday

 

[stevegmu]

So they are going to prohibit vaping where smoking is prohibited and vape shops will have to get a tobacco license. Big deal. I didn't start vaping so I could get my nic fix where smoking is prohibited.

 

[Lowstorm]

It also prohibits the sampling of the juice in the store. Which is the part that is pretty big, especially since we only have one store, and.. ya know.. A lot of his (the owners) profits are based on that sort of sale. He does already have the tobacco license and such.