I'm calling for help from my Fellow NSers on an fairly imminent issue with regards to the classification of eCigarettes in Canada.
MLA Finder For sending your letter.
Information you should include if you can:
(They need to hear from you the consumer! They need to hear your story!)
Tell them how old you are
Tell them how long you were smoking
Tell them how long you have been vaping
Tell them you how vaping helped you get away from cigarettes!
Tell them how you are feeling better everyday.
Tell them how you are breathing easier....
Tell them how you are able to run that little bit further...
Tell them how vaping has changed you!
Tell them how vaping is nothing like the tobacco products that you are trying to get away from!
Tell them that you agree with the regulation of sales to minors!
If you have lost someone to a tobacco related illness and want something better for yourself tell them that too!
Please don't personally attack them in your letter. This works against the cause. They need to hear how it helped you!
Be diplomatic... be professional and get all your friends to write too!
Peer reviewed data is powerful!
The bill in question link: http://www.leg.bc.ca/40th4th/1st_read/gov14-1.htm
the main arguement we need to be making is that this IS NOT and CAN NOT be in the same category as tobacco. for reasons of taxation, suppliers and consumer rights this well not go well for vendors or consumers.
vaping in public and not selling to kids is the smoke and mirrors to get public approval ignore it and think if you would keep vaping if there was 300% tax on everything that you buy vaping related.
The reason Cigarettes are taxed heavily because of the associated health risks. From the research I've read there aren't enough health risks to warrant an extra tax like there is on cigarettes.
Section 2 of the amendment means vape stores will not be permitted to have any juice on display (including websites, posters, decals, etc), they will be required to be behind sealed curtains at the very minimum, and you are not allowed to name off any brands or flavors - legally customers would be required to ask for the specific juice by name, even if you're not allowed to tell them what new ones are available.(I've also added this into stuff you can include in your letter.
Something else I feel I should add is just in case if anyone has seen the study from japan that says eCigarettes has 10 times the carcinogens than regular cigarettes. The way the study was conducted was without e-liquid or e-juice in it and the guy was just puffing on the ecigarette dry and at a higher temperature than what is recommended.
Links you should take a look at:
Want to see a good place that has great information check out this facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VapersNetwork/ (This page has been active for 4 years or so.)
There is a common misconception about nicotine.
http://discovermagazine.com/2014/march/13-nicotine-fix
If they are really concerned about Nicotine being present in front of children they would put out a public safety announcement about the nicotine content in these common household vegetables.
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199308053290619
Propylene Glycol one of the main ingredients has been used in Asthma inhalers for years. It is also found in a large number of consumable products like Sour cream and Molasses.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propylene_glycol
Here's a PDF that All MLA's should take a look at when considering the new bill that lumps ecigarettes and ecigarette users in the same classification as cigarette smokers.
https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fattachment.fbsbx.com%2Ffile_download.php%3Fid%3D653242561488334%26eid%3DAStFkyneBp_GsHNG7MAJhoxwuBoYCJF6h4hJF2tGQlYm4qvu0jKqx3aFs3_Rp5ct26Y%26ext%3D1425677951%26hash%3DAStQ-INZHO5nQ1jS&h=GAQHY2tec
Other things you can include in your letter:
Everyone keeps telling me oh its just not selling to minors but its much more than that it is being brought into the Tobacco Act period.
it's not enforced as strongly for tobacco (finding out what smokes are carried), but you can be damn sure it will be enforced like gangbusters with heavy fines in order to wipe out vaping stores.
the change in Section 2 Subsection 3 [changing cigarettes to tobacco products] is so they don't need to meet the rolled burnable product (because ejuice wouldn't fit the prerequisite).
IF [when] vaping is classified as a tobacco product, all devices and juices can then afterwards be easily amended to require them to fit the same requirements as all other tobacco products)... That can include how the paper or leaves must be wrapped around all vaping devices, what additional chemicals must be added to ejuice for 'safety' reasons [e.g. Salt Peter must be added to ejuice as it's required in tobacco products in order to act as a burn and flame retardant, and you will be required to include a filter like on cigarettes (which just happens to be like the carto system on 1st gen devices owned by.
IF [when] vaping is classified as a tobacco product, all devices and juices can then afterwards be easily amended to require them to fit the same requirements as all other tobacco products)... That can include how the paper or leaves must be wrapped around all vaping devices, what additional chemicals must be added to ejuice for 'safety' reasons [e.g. Salt Peter must be added to ejuice as it's required in tobacco products in order to act as a burn and flame retardant, and you will be required to include a filter like on cigarettes (which just happens to be like the carto system on 1st gen devices owned by tobacco companies.
tobacco flavoring legislation is already in place (and will be taking effect next year) banning all cigarette and tobacco flavoring... If vaping is classified under tobacco regulations, then that will be applicable as well (no need to pass it since it has already been passed, and now vaping would be required to meet all current regulations regarding cigarettes and tobacco as well)
Section 2 of the amendment means vape stores will not be permitted to have any juice on display (including websites, posters, decals, etc), they will be required to be behind sealed curtains at the very minimum, and you are not allowed to name off any brands or flavors - legally customers would be required to ask for the specific juice by name, even if you're not allowed to tell them what new ones are available.
you'll also have to shut down all vape store websites under Section 2.4 (1) (b)
Under Section 2.4 (1) (a), if vaping products are classified as Tobacco products, then you would also not be allowed to display mods, tanks, batteries, juice, or any other vaping related item in the store.
Section 11 Power To Make Regulations (too long to copy) it says they can change regulations as they want regarding display, promotion, packaging, testing requirements, submitting products for random demand sampling to the govt, product seizures and forfeitures, minimum number of bottles that must be sold per sale in order to be legal, requiring all bottles to be of a specific size/type, adding warning labels (and you know current cig packs are about 50% label size with warnings), content requirements, disclosure of ALL "health hazards and effects which arise or may arise from exposure by any means, whether voluntary or not, to tobacco or the emissions of tobacco", changing word and phrase definitions and restrictions, inclusion of restricted use in both public and private places, and [under Section 11 (4)] allows them to place different regulations and requirements for different "things" [i.e. they can make 1st gen cartomizer based tobacco companies exempt from individual requirements while making all other types non-compliant]
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If I have forgotten anything feel free to post about it. I strongly suggest people get their letters out as soon as possible. Seeing as today is friday and their office will be closed all weekend. We need to bring this to their attention as soon as possible.
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