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Illinois – [Concluded] Stop a Public Vaping Ban! (HB 201)
- March 13, 2021
current status
Bill
Introduced
Passed
House
Passed
Senate
Signed by
Governor
03/23/21 – Human Services Committee, Hearing, 3:00 PM, Virtual Room 2
03/16/21 – Hearing, 3:00 PM, Virtual Room 2
02/23/21 – Assigned to Human Services Committee
01/22/21 – First Reading
HB 201 would ban vaping in the same places where smoking is prohibited.
Please take a moment to send a message to committee members urging them to oppose HB 201 by submitting a Witness Slip for the hearing. (This is not the same as signing up to testify and you are only registering your position on the bill.)
Since 2009, lobbying at the state and local level for cigarette-style restrictions on vaping is responsible for unscientific rule changes that conflate the harms of smoking with the hypothetical risks of non-combustible alternatives. CASAA opposes such measures as they are a form of misinformation and unnecessarily restricting access to safer nicotine products. (Remember, access is not limited to just the ability to purchase certain products; it includes being able to use and enjoy them.)
It is understandable that a majority of people who vape are respectful of existing anti-smoking regulations and automatically apply them to vaping in public spaces. Indeed, CASAA’s advice to vapers is to ask about a business’s policy before using a device indoors and to keep it discreet if management allows vaping. But large-scale government intervention in this matter is unwarranted.
Vaping bans do not prevent young people from experimenting with smoke-free products nor do they protect bystanders from the hypothetical risks of second-hand vapor. Place bans against vapor and other smoke-free nicotine products discourage people who smoke from switching and send the inaccurate message that smoking and vaping pose similar risks to health.
The misleading conflation of smoke-free products with harms from the combustible products they aim to replace is contributing to a broad misperception of risk associated with everything from nicotine vapor products to FDA approved nicotine replacement therapies. This is a huge concern that is noted by regulators, scientists, and advocates from across the spectrum of tobacco policy. Opposing overregulation of vapor products and other smoke-free alternatives is vital to realigning public perception of risk with reality and empowering people to make informed decisions about the products they consume.
- Private Residences
- Retail Tobacco Stores (>80% of sales are “tobacco products”)
- Hotel Rooms (making up not more than 25% of an establishment)
- Common Smoking Rooms in Long-term Care Facilities
- Donald E. Stephens Convention Center as part of a trade show
- A Dispensing Organization (Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act)
Human Services Committee - 03/23/21
Read Full Bill Text
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
3:00 PM
Virtual Room 2
Take Action Now!
- Use the link above to access the witness slip for HB201.
- Part I. Enter your personal information.
- Part II. Representation. Just enter “Self” in the field provided.
- Part III. Position: Click on the button next to “Opponent”
- Part IV. Testimony: Click on the box next to “Record of Appearance Only.” Filling out a witness slip does not mean you have to appear in person at the hearing (although Illinois advocates are encouraged to attend) – it is a mechanism that allows you to register your opposition to the resolution.
- Type the Captcha Code in the box.
- Click the box next to “I Agree to the ILGA Terms of Agreement.”
- Click on “Create Slip.”
Witness slips can be filled out by anyone age 13 and older. Consider talking with your children or grandchildren about this issue. If they’re happy you made the switch, they might want to express their opposition to the bill by completing a witness slip.