New York’s vapers get a last minute reprieve on the flavour ban – whilst it’s still full steam ahead for a complete ban in New Jersey.
There’s also a new a study from a dozen of America’s top medical researchers showing NOT ONE death or illness can be linked to legal e-liquids and pods pointing to contaminated illicit street bought cannabis cartridges.
Meanwhile in the state of Utah, health officials have brought in emergency powers to restrict the sale of flavoured e-liquids, and Conservative groups are joining forces to urge Trump’s administration NOT to ban flavours or vaping in general.
You really can’t keep your eye off the ball as to what’s happening over the pond regarding vaping and flavours – reports are coming in thick and fast!
OK let’s break this down and see where we’re at after another week in the hysteria surrounding ‘America’s Vape Crisis‘.
Temporary Lifting Of New York Flavour Ban
Despite the law suit to overturn the ban being defeated earlier this week, an appeal has been successful giving campaigners two weeks to prepare for the next hearing.
The law suit was filed by the Vapor Technology Association [VTA] and late yesterday the State Appellate court lifted the ban just hours before it was due to be enforced.
Today, the NY Appellate Court granted a TRO in the lawsuit brought by VTA, Benevolent ELiquids & Perfection Vapes to halt tomorrow’s enforcement of the flavor ban. The panel unanimously ruled that the State is “temporarily enjoined and prevented from enforcing” the flavor ban. pic.twitter.com/vDVBKvEvG2
— Vapor Technology Association (@VaporTechAssoc) October 3, 2019
Health Commissioner Howard Zucker was unmoved and vowed to make sure the ban was eventually brought in:
It is undeniable the vaping industry is using flavored e-cigarettes to get young people hooked on potentially dangerous and deadly products.
While the court’s ruling temporarily delays our scheduled enforcement of this ban, it will not deter us from using every tool at our disposal to address this crisis.
Make no mistake: this is a public health emergency that demands immediate action to help ensure the well-being of our children, and we’re confident once the court hears our argument they will agree.
The New York authorities STILL seem reluctant to even mention in passing the root cause of the respiratory illness and deaths attributed to illegal THC cartridges, and are sticking to the ‘flavours bad what about the kids’ argument.
Tony Abboud, VTA Executive Director, was pleased with the stay and said the industry was ready to work closely with the New York administration:
The New York state Legislature, instead of enacting a flavor ban, already has decided to address concerns about youth vaping by raising the minimum age for vapor products from 18 to 21 and imposing a major tax increase.
We continue to stand ready to work with the state of New York and all interested stakeholders on the many real solutions that should be implemented to achieve the twin goals of restricting youth vaping, which already is illegal, and preserving flavored alternatives for adults desperately trying to quit smoking.
Let’s hope sense prevails.
For the record, medicinal cannabis is legal in New York and Governor Cuomo is currently considering legalizing recreational cannabis.
Maybe during those discussions he’ll see the real cause of the illnesses and deaths and legislate appropriately.
Full New Jersey Vape Ban Imminent?
The recommendations of the New Jersey ‘Vaping Task Force‘ released yesterday makes for grim reading.
It recommends a complete flavour ban in the Garden State and a whole host of draconian measures it says will – yeah you guessed it – ‘protect the children’.
Governor Phil Murphy says the Electronic Smoking Device Task Force has met 5 times since it was created, and unlike neighbours New York – he does not have the power to bring in an executive order to ban, and has called on local politicians to enforce the new legislation.
Apart from the complete flavour ban, the Task Force recommends an initial seven steps with plenty more under the surface:
- Complete flavour ban
- Improve the state’s ability to investigate severe pulmonary disease
- Bring in new legislation to ‘protect the children’
- Develop a statewide education programme on the dangers of e-cigarettes
- Review the state’s current anti-vaping efforts and give feedback
- Work with other states and federal agencies investigating the illnesses and deaths
- Clampdown on lit tobacco products
Worryingly the proposed flavour ban looks like it’s written as a ‘catch-all’ – as in the wording is ambiguous:
The Task Force recommends that the Legislature impose a ban on the sale of flavored electronic smoking devices and products, inclusive of menthol.
The Task Force recommends that ban apply to the sale of electronic smoking devices and associated products that are advertised to, or do, impart a distinct flavor other than tobacco, such as fruit, clove, mint, menthol or sweets.
It’s those words ‘devices’ and ‘products’ – which could mean both open and closed systems that is unclear – proof again they are legislating with little – if any – knowledge on just what they’re banning!
The state also wants to restrict online sales and remove an e-cigarette product from sale in convenience stores including gas stations.
Announcing the plan Governor Murphy said he would be ‘acting swiftly’ to implement the plan adding:
Make no mistake, this is a report that I, nor anyone else here, intends to see placed on a shelf to collect dust.
The recent spate of lung disease and deaths across the country due to electronic smoking device use is startling.
We must work together to protect the health and safety of New Jersey’s youth.
I want New Jersey to not just react to current events but to use these events to craft thoughtful and solid policies that will protect our residents for years to come.
The Task Force is led by Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli and she told the media:
Our overriding conclusion is that smoking devices pose a threat to public health, particularly the health and well-being of our youth.
Governor Murphy also has a downer on vaping hoodies too – something I reported on back in July!
He said it’s not just vapable clothing either, hinting at a complete vape hoody/t-shirt ban:
Hoodies being sold with vaping mouthpieces built directly into the sweatshirt’s drawstrings, and backpacks with hidden, sewn-in vape systems.
In short, products aimed specifically to young people to vape at school.
The task force is recommending that we expressly prohibit the advertising and sales of these and other items meant to hide vaping products.
It doesn’t look good for New Jersey right now to say the least – we’ll keep you updated on any news.
Read the full Electronic Smoking Device Task Force report
Scientists Say NOT ONE Case Linked To Legally Bought E-liquids
You’ve no doubt woke up this morning to yet more blatant fake news from the media suggesting vaping in general has the same effect on your lungs as ‘mustard gas’ and other ‘chemical burn style’ symptoms.
It’s obviously complete bollocks and only a handful of the so called journalists mentioning illegal THC cartridges bother to add fact. In a handful of ‘articles’ tagging a throwaway line at the end of the shock horror vaping will kill you article.
As I said in the comment section of one national newspaper ‘shame on them’.
They can’t even acknowledge the new study showing NOT ONE of the dreadful cases has been linked to regular and regulated nicotine based e-liquids, instead twisting the words of the scientists to make it look like ALL e-liquids are to blame.
As a former member of that profession it makes my blood boil.
OK, rant over for now lol.
By the last count there’s been 17 deaths and over 800 cases of severe respiratory illnesses across America which the media has linked to the word ‘vaping’.
Nothing could be further from the truth according to a dozen of America’s top medical researchers.
A new study published by the Mayo Clinic in the New England Journal of Medicine says:
Much recent attention has been given to the possibility that vaping-associated lung injury may represent exogenous lipoid pneumonia.
However, none of our cases showed histologic evidence of exogenous lipoid pneumo-nia and no radiologic evidence thereof has been found.
Obviously further studies will need to be done but it looks more and more certain the outbreak is limited in the vast majority of cases due to contaminants found in illegal cannabis cartridges.
I doubt with even the CDC saying this, the anti-vaping politicians will stop their stupid and life threatening crusade to ban all the vaping thins.
Read the full report: Pathology of Vaping-Associated Lung Injury
Utah Clamps Down On Sale Of Flavoured E-liquids
Flavoured e-liquids can now only be bought in vape shops in Utah after an emergency rule was brought in this week.
The state now forbids the sale of flavours in convenience stores, pharmacies and gas stations.
As well as that all vape shops MUST comply with the order to show posters warning of the dangers of vaping on ‘un-regulated THC cartridges’.
Retailers have until Monday next [October 7th 2019] to comply – it’s not clear what the punishments will be if stores are found selling flavoured vape products.
One thing is clear, many of Utah’s politicians are eyeing a complete vape ban and of course we shall keep you informed of any developments.
Trump Urged To Reconsider Countrywide Flavour Ban
As always with ‘the Donald’ things are confusing to say the least and vaping bans are no exception.
We have the off the cuff ignorant call he made with his missus to ban all flavours.
This was quickly followed by one of his infamous tweets suggesting he actually thought vaping and flavours were ‘good’.
And then we had the President missing or some say avoiding a meeting with prominent vaping advocates from Conservative groups.
Now a coalition of them have doubled down on their calls for Trump to abandon completely any form of vape of flavoured e-liquid ban.
As I said earlier this month, many on the right think this could seriously affect his re-election plans and social media campaign #WeVoteWeVape is now in full swing.
The group, which includes American Conservative Union and FreedomWorks, is led by Americans for Tax Reform, and say its’ not just vapers and smokers who will be affected but also small and large businesses.
In a letter to the president they wrote:
Eliminating all but one or two of these options for adults would destroy thousands of small businesses, force many adult vapers to return to smoking, and force some to seek out products on the black market.
Unchallenged, the FDA will destroy thousands of small businesses without Congressional oversight and without sufficient input from the public.
Let’s hope the Trump administration listens and acts.
More vaping news on Sunday.
