Attempts to Ban E Cigarettes » Utah and Vermont Updates
When electronic cigarette manufacturers came up with their product, they believed they were creating something that would help get people switch from cancer-causing tobacco products. They thought they were creating a product that was safer, but still enjoyable, improving a long-term smoker’s chances of quitting tobacco. However, it seems some law makers in Utah and Vermont disagree though, and now, they’ve made it official by banning the products wherever tobacco cigarettes are prohibited.
Utah Indoor Clean Air Act
In order to maintain the safety of employees in various work environments, Utah created the Indoor Clean Air Act, which prohibits smoking in the workplace, including places like restaurants, taverns, and even private clubs. The law even goes so far as to prohibit smoking in areas that are considered to be in close proximity to a residential unit. While this 100% smoke-free act was meant to keep workers safe from second-hand smoke, it did not take into consideration newer trends like electronic cigarettes, which don’t actually light tobacco.
This March, Utah lawmakers decided to extend the ban to cover any type of smoking, tobacco related or not. This means that electronic cigarette users are now banished to the same locations as traditional tobacco smokers if they want to enjoy their product. They are allowing electronic cigarette shops to allow smoking on their own premises, at least for the next five years. After that, that part of the policy will be reviewed again and a new decision will be made.
Vermont Bill H.747
Other states have taken a more strict approach to the ban, but are facing a lot of opposition because of their staunch stance. In Vermont, the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association, known as CASAA, is asking e-cigarette users to protest proposed bill H.747.
This bill would prohibit the purchase, sale, and delivery of e-cigarettes by internet, phone or mail order in their state. By doing this, they’re hoping to make it more difficult for consumers to try the new electronic devices. Anyone caught violating the bill could serve five years in prison and pay a hefty fine of $5,000.
The bill was only recently introduced to Vermont’s House Committee on Human Services, but e-cigarette advocates are already preparing to attend meetings to give their input. As you may expect, e-cigarette vapers are outraged at this bill which has become a hop topic in the area.
National Implications
As a general trend, whenever one or two states create controversial bills limiting the freedom of Americans, they usually get noticed across the nation. With Utah and Vermont creating legislation specifically addressing electronic cigarettes and other states considering similar bans, it might not take long for the idea to spread.
Electronic cigarettes are already gaining attention from a researcher at the University of California, who says that the devices “should be banned until safety concerns have been addressed.” The Food and Drug Administration has also performed some studies and found “five e-cigarette distributors using poor manufacturing practices” and making false claims. While this may be true of some of the low-quality brands, it still does damage to the reputation of brands that maintain high-quality products such as Green Smoke and V2 Cigs.
While these laws are already highly contested, the time to act is now. Many people have asked, “Why are lawmakers so harsh on e-cigarette manufacturers, but still allow traditional cigarette companies to continue with minimal restrictions in their respective industry?” I urge you to call your local government to discuss this issue.
In the meantime, please help spread the word about electronic cigarettes to any smokers you may know and refer them to sites like ours with honest, real user electronic cigarette reviews. Our list of the top 10 ranked e cigarette brands are filled with nothing but high quality e-cig brands which have nothing to hide from government groups like the FDA.
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