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Ocean City Police Violence, Vapor Flavor Bans and More! – Tobacco Harm Reduction News

Call to Action update for Connecticut. LA and DC vapor flavor bans. Ocean City police violence. The far-reaching Bloomberg anti-tobacco money. Exposing anti-vaping bias. Bad public health policies doing harm and more!

Scroll to the bottom of this post for a link to the audio/video versions of this post!

CALL TO ACTION UPDATE // Connecticut

The anti-tobacco organizations are celebrating the defeat of a bill that banned flavored vapor products, saying better to “see no ban at all than the diluted version.” A major objection to the bill was that it would have exempted modified risk tobacco products (MRTP), which are products that deemed by the FDA as “expected to benefit the health of the population as a whole.” The bill had already been stripped of a ban on menthol cigarettes.

 

READ MORE: Connecticut Health Advocates Celebrate The Defeat Of Watered-Down E-Cigarette Bill

DO MORE: If you live in Connecticut, join the CASAA Connecticut Facebook Group

UPDATE // Los Angeles Flavor Ban

While hookah advocates were able to win exemption, city leaders have yet to hear from vaping advocates in great numbers. LA vapers may soon be facing a devastating flavor ban unless they stand up for themselves to stop the insanity!

READ MORE: L.A. City Council Requests Ordinance to Ban Flavored Tobacco

HEADS UP! // Washington, D.C. Flavor Ban

A flavor ban (with an exemption for hookah bars) has passed the first hurdle. The proposal, like so many others, is based on false narratives that vape flavors only exist so Big Tobacco can “hook kids” and teens experimenting with vaping is the same thing as teen smoking. The ban must have a second vote by the council and the mayor’s signature before it is final.

READ MORE: D.C. Council Votes To Ban Sales Of Flavored Tobacco, But Exempts Hookah Bars

COMMENTARY // Consequences of Bad Policy

Recent events in Ocean City, Maryland highlight that, rather than supporting healthy communities, public bans are often used as legal pathways for law enforcement harassment of citizens from certain racial and economic backgrounds.

Recognition by governments that the Drug War–including the war on nicotine–is built on racism, classism, and silencing political dissent, not protecting or improving public health, is overdue. Further delay in re-examining such dangerous laws will encourage more instances of violent police intervention resulting in unnecessary injury or early death.”

~CASAA

READ MORE: CASAA Speaks Out Against Ocean City Police Vaping Violence, Racism

 

 

COMMENTARY // Flavor Bans

READ MORE: Flavored tobacco bans won’t achieve desired outcomes

PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY // Sin Taxes – Do No Harm?

The combination of high taxes (that inspire few people to quit smoking) and the lack of affordable, safer alternatives (which have been targets for tax “parity”) is putting many already below poverty level at greater risk of malnutrition and smoking-related diseases.

READ MORE: Cigarette poverty: Kiwi smokers reusing ‘horrible’ tobacco as prices soar

PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY // Exposing Anti-Nicotine Bias

Maine legislature votes to decriminalize possession of all currently illicit drugs (instead resulting in a $100 fine,) as they consider EXPANDING the drug war by banning sale of low risk nicotine flavors that are helping adults quit smoking (risking up to a $5,000 fine.)

READ MORE: Maine Lawmakers Approve Bill To Decriminalize All Drugs On 50th Anniversary Of Nixon’s ‘War On Drugs’

TAKE ACTION: Maine – Stop a Flavor Ban

DO MORE: If you live in Maine, join the CASAA Maine Facebook Group

PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY // Bad For Public Health

Lawmakers in the Northern Mariana Islands (a U.S. commonwealth where 1 in 4 adults still smoke) have levied a 75% tax on low risk vapor & tobacco products–despite evidence that such actions have caused increases in black market activity and smoking.

READ MORE: House passes tobacco tax hike

PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY: Flavor Hysteria

A New Hampshire man is also caught with 750 pounds of marijuana and 200 cases of illicit THC products, but Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey seems to be the most proud of preventing the “dangerous, addictive and particularly appealing to young people” flavored nicotine vapor products from hitting the streets.

READ MORE: New Hampshire Man Charged With Trafficking Marijuana, Illegally Distributing Tobacco and Flavored Vaping Products

THE MORE YOU KNOW // Exposing Anti-Tobacco Tactics

Michelle Minton, writing for CEI, reveals the true extent of the backroom manipulations by Bloomberg and Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids “imposing its will on the developing world.”

“CTFK generates what appears like an organic consensus—a cacophony of ostensibly independent voices all clamoring for the same tobacco control policies. In reality, it is a highly synchronized chorus of interdependent interests, coordinated from afar.

READ MORE: Exposed: Bloomberg’s Anti-Tobacco Meddling in Developing Countries

TAKE ACTION // CASAA State Facebook Groups

Have you joined your CASAA State Facebook group yet? Check it out now! Click the link below, click on your state on the map, then click the “Join Now” button to go to your state’s group page. It’s as easy as that to stay updated on local happenings, meet local advocates and never miss a Call to Action in your state!

Don’t forget to also follow our official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CASAAmedia

FIND YOUR GROUP: CASAA State Locator

CASAA MEDIA // Podcast

Catch up on past tobacco harm reduction news with Alex and Logan on the CASAA podcasts on SoundCloud every Monday and now live on YouTube and Facebook every Saturday at 3:30 PM.

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