Breaking news out of Texas: According to an article in the
Mansfield Mirror, the Mansfield City Council will soon be considering an ordinance that would enact a several month long moratorium on the opening of new e-cigarette stores in Mansfield. If passed, this would mean that a retail store wishing to exclusively sell cigarettes and cigars could open in Mansfield, but not a store that wishes to sell e-cigarettes that help smokers quit.
CASAA is encouraging its members to attend and speak at the Mansfield City Council's next meeting on
Monday, October 14th at 7 PM at City Hall (1200 E Broad St). Unless rescheduled, there will also be a council meeting on Monday, October 28th at 7 PM.
In order to be recognized during the "Citizen Comments" period, please complete a blue "Appearance Card" located at the entry to the City Council Chamber and present it to the Assistant City Secretary. Do not expect a response from Council, as the Council cannot respond due to regulations of the Open Meetings Act.
If you read the article from the
Mansfield Mirror, you will see that the Mansfield City Council previously banned the sale of K2 and synthetic drugs in the city. In your e-mail, be sure to note that hundreds of e-cigarette stores exist throughout the U.S., and there are none that you're aware that sell e-cigarettes that can be used with illegal drugs.
So please, take action! Send an e-mail and attend the hearing if you can. There will be future hearings if the moratorium is officially proposed, but right now it is still very important that the members of the Councils hear from vapers. Please see below the next paragraph.
Update on Nacogdoches:
Our previous e-mail to Texas vapers (click if you missed it) asked for comments and testimony from vapers in or around Nacogdoches, Texas. Thankfully, CASAA member Scott Ballantine attended and gave a speech on e-cigarettes to the council. Since then, city attorney Rob Atherton has sent CASAA an e-mail letting us know the following: "Presently the Council has asked Staff to monitor scientific evidence and the upcoming FDA proposals regarding e-cigarettes and to report back when such information is received." In other words, at least for now Nacogdoches will not be pursuing a vaping ban!
Please see below for more information on stopping the Mansfield moratorium.
E-Mail or Call the Members of the Mansfield City Council to Urge Opposition to the Moratorium on E-Cigarette Stores
Comma delimited e-mail list: david.cook@mansfield-tx.gov, brent.newsom@mansfield-tx.gov, stephen.lindsey@mansfield-tx.gov, darryl.haynes@mansfield-tx.gov, cory.hoffman@mansfield-tx.gov, wendy.burgess@mansfield-tx.gov, larry.broseh@mansfield-tx.gov
- Mayor David Cook, (817) 276-4204
- Council Member Brent Newsom, (817) 368-4534 (Cell)
- Council Member Stephen Lindsey, (682) 225-4030
- Council Member Darryl Haynes, (682) 554-5701
- Council Member Cory Hoffman, (214) 704-9086
- Council Member Wendy Burgess, (817) 797-4588
- Council Member Larry Broseh, (817) 477-2509
Please write the members of the Mansfield City Council below:
What to say:
1. You are a Texas citizen and while you would support Mansfield introducing and enacting a common sense law banning e-cigarette sales to minors, the Council should NOT prevent more e-cigarette stores from opening in the city. (Remember to be respectful)
2. Tell your story on how switching to an e-cigarette has changed your life.
3. Explain how radically different cigarettes are from e-cigarettes, and ask why they would want to restrict e-cigarette sales while continuing to allow cigarette sales.
Let them know that 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.
For example, 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.
Additionally, 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.
4. Inform them surveys of thousands of users indicate that the majority of those who switch completely replace tobacco cigarettes with the electronic cigarettes. This reduces their health risks by 98-99%.
5. Tell them that by switching to a smokeless product, you have greatly reduced your health risks.
