Organisations & Campaigning News Feeds

Celebrate the first World Vaping Day with CASAA on Thursday, March 22nd, 2012!

Since their introduction in 2003, electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have taken the world by storm. Millions of former smokers have either switched from smoking completely or greatly reduced their cigarette consumption due to this innovative device. CASAA is joining other organizations around the world to promote this event!

Electronic cigarettes are a completely different approach to addressing the concerns about the cost and health effects of smoking. Until now, the focus on quitting smoking has been on ending nicotine dependence, yet billions spent on nicotine cessation products has resulted in very low quit rates. Nicotine gums, lozenges and patches that require eventual abstinence; and pills that attempt to make smoking unpleasant for the smoker completely ignore the social and behavioral aspects many smokers enjoy and do not wish to give up. It is a myth that most smokers "want to quit." In truth, most smokers simply realize that they probably should quit. Therefore, not only do those products fail to help 93% of the time - even for smokers who actually do want to end nicotine dependence - they are completely ignored by the millions of smokers who enjoy smoking for reasons beyond nicotine use. Electronic cigarette use - or "vaping" - addresses smokers' needs on multiple levels, rather than simply focusing on the nicotine.

Electronic cigarettes are not intended to be used as a nicotine cessation product. They are intended to replace tobacco cigarettes by providing an alternate source of nicotine and mimicking the familiar behaviors associated with smoking, thereby eliminating the user's exposure to smoke and significantly reducing the health concerns related to smoking. By eliminating the cigarette smoke but not requiring the user to give up familiar habits and nicotine, electronic cigarettes are showing significant promise as a highly successful tobacco harm reduction product.

Contrary to what you may have heard, e-cigarettes have been researched, studied and tested; including research on nicotine delivery, toxicity, carcinogens, efficacy for smoking cessation and nicotine content. While it has been generally acknowledged that manufacturing standards need to be established, even the highly publicized and misrepresented analysis by the FDA found that the e-cigarettes it tested did not contain harmful levels of any toxic chemicals or carcinogens. Most medical experts and public health experts agree (or at least grudgingly concede) that the typical electronic cigarette vapor, consisting of propylene glycol, glycerin, artificial flavorings and nicotine, would not deliver anywhere near the harmful levels of chemicals and carcinogens that are found in traditional cigarettes. So, while we cannot claim that e-cigarettes are 100% safe (really what is 100% safe in this world?), it would be hard for anyone to argue that the vapor is not infinitely safer than smoke. Therefore, CASAA feels confident recommending e-cigarettes as an acceptable smokeless alternate for smokers who wish to reduce or completely eliminate cigarette smoke exposure.

Take the opportunity to participate in World Vaping Day 2012. If you are a smoker and haven't tried e-cigarettes yet, there are inexpensive disposable brands, which are available online or even at your local Walgreens - now is the time to give one a try! If you are already an e-cigarette user, this is a great day to talk about how you made the switch to friends and family who are smokers. Post about it on your social networks. Show a co-working smoker at work your e-cigarette or even a a stranger standing outside in the cold. World Vaping Day is the day to let the world know that you are a vaper!

Web Link: http://www.world-vaping-day.com/

CASAA is currently looking to fill the three open Director positions on the Board of Directors.

If you would like to become much more involved with helping CASAA achieve its mission, please send an email to board@casaa.org to request a copy of the Board Candidate Questionnaire and/or with any questions.

CASAA is excited to announce that it will be acting as a principal adviser for "We Are Vapers," a documentary about electronic cigarettes and tobacco harm reduction.

The film, which "will explore the concept of Smoking Tobacco Harm Reduction, e-cigarettes role and the community that has risen alongside it," is currently in the pre-production stage. CASAA hopes everyone will take the time to visit http://wearevapers.com to learn more about the project which is, like CASAA, a grassroots effort in need of participants to tell their story, volunteers, equipment, lodging and donations.

In the case that the contributions exceed the production costs or if the project doesn't raise enough money and can't be produced, they will donate it all, without exception, to the CASAA. As of this post, the producers have raised just over half of the $20,000 goal.

Please consider being a part of this worthy project! Direct contributions may be made here: http://www.indiegogo.com/wearevapers

Interview w/ Producer/Director Linc Williams about the  "We Are Vapers" Documentary (includes promo video)

An ACT prohibiting smoking in public places and places of employment


Link to HB 289


This bill would: 
Redefine smoking to include the use of electronic cigarettes, and prohibit their use anywhere smoking is prohibited.
The bill has been referred to the House Health and Welfare Committee, which meets on Wednesdays and Thursdays of each week.  It has yet to be added to the Committee's agenda.

[Read more]

An act prohibiting smoking in automobiles when children are present


Link to A1016

This bill would: 
Ban smoking and the use of e-cigarettes in cars if children 16 or under are present. A violation would carry a $100 fine.


The bill has been referred to the NJ Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee.


[Read more]

Smoking in Public Places

The Saugus Board of Health has proposed restricting the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors and the use of electronic cigarettes in public places.

Link to news article

This ordinance would:
Restrict the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, and ban the use of e-cigarettes in any public place where smoking is prohibited.

[Read more]

Dr. Hilary Jones's surprisingly accurate and knowledgeable description of e-cigarettes on British morning television.

 

Watch interview about TPSAC with CASAA Director Greg Conley and CASAA advisor Dr. Carl Philips. Interview starts at 0:30:45.

CASAA directors were busy this past week or so testifying at two different venues. 
On January 19th, CASAA director Gregory Conley and CASAA advisors Bill Godshall and Dr. Carl Philips spoke before the FDA Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, advocating once again for tobacco harm reduction policies.
Photo Credit: Dr. Carl Philips
CASAA advisor Dr. Carl Philips
speaks at TPSAC


The Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) is intended to advise the Commissioner or designee in discharging responsibilities as they relate to the regulation of tobacco products. As part of the TPSAC’s required report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the committee heard public comments on issues related to "the nature and impact of the use of dissolvable tobacco products on the public health, including such use among children." It is CASAA's opinion that the committee is largely one-sided, as many committee members are known anti-tobacco and anti-nicotine prohibitionists and against tobacco harm reduction.

Listen to their speeches here: Video link to 1/19 TPSAC. Testimony from CASAA/harm reduction advocates starts about 5hr 22min mark.

In other news, on January 25th, the Utah House Government Operations Committee listened to public comments regarding "HB0245 Amendment to Definition of Smoking in Utah Indoor Clean Air Act," which was an attempt to include hookah and electronic cigarette use in the state's definition of "smoking." CASAA Director Jacinda Ross, who has successfully testified in Utah previously, was there to advocate for electronic cigarette users.

To quote the Desert News article about the issue:
"Too many questions and concerns over a bill that would ban the smoking of e-cigarettes and hookah pipes in public places prompted a panel of lawmakers Monday to put the legislation on hold.... ...some lawmakers said they had reservations about a bill that would effectively put hookah bars out of business when the data over health risks is unclear. Representatives of the Huka Bar and Grill in Murray said the bill would put 90 people out of work.Other lawmakers said they needed more time to study the proposal.
Some opponents took issue with the bill treating e-cigarettes the same as hookah pipes. [Jacinda] Ross, of West Jordan, said she was a cigarette smoker for many years but has quit thanks to e-cigarettes. "I've been smoke free since August 2010. I have no desire to smoke any more," Ross said."Listen to testimony here: CASAA director Jacinda Ross speaks at Utah House Government Operations Committee. Click link #2 (Jacinda speaks at about 1:55:43.)

Recently, there have been two questions raised that seemed to show a need for re-clarification on those issues.

Last week, CASAA received the following email message:
"Any company affiliated with ******* can walk off a cliff. All because a company is for not smoking doesn't make them pro their customers. As long as you do work along side a company who can't even provide a phone number for customer service, I will be unable to give you anymore donations. I've provided an alias but when the money stops coming you will know who you have lost and who is to blame (*******)"

Unfortunately, the email address the sender used bounced back to us, but we would like to reiterate that CASAA does not endorse any company. CASAA gratefully accepts donations from both consumer and industry sources, however CASAA does not offer nor give any compensation,  privileges, rights, benefits or otherwise special treatment to those who donate financially, link to our web site, volunteer their services/products or display our logo.

As per posted on each page of our web site:
"CASAA encourages the use of a link to the CASAA website as a means of providing accurate, unbiased information to consumers and the industry. Unless otherwise stated on casaa.org, CASAA does not have any affiliation with an organization, business, or individual that displays the CASAA logo or provides a link to the CASAA site."

Please do not misconstrue the presence of the CASAA logo on a merchant site or product display to be an endorsement of that merchant. All it means is that the merchant supports CASAA's mission. Note that CASAA's web site and social networking pages also do not advertise or endorse e-cigarette, tobacco or pharmaceutical merchants or product brands.

Secondly, this message was recently found posted on a consumer forum:
"The entire point in a CONSUMER advocacy group is that it be made up of CONSUMERS and not people with a vested interest in the commercial business side. But it seems to me that CASAA might be a little confused about their mission in general since they have been around since 2009 and I have yet to see them act as consumer advocates once. What CASAA does is industry lobbying, not consumer advocacy."

Unfortunately, some people are under the false impression that CASAA's mission is as a consumer protection organization against the industry and that is not and never has been CASAA's mission.

This is the CASAA Mission Statement, which has been posted on the CASAA web site since day one:
"Our mission is to ensure the availability of effective, affordable and reduced harm alternatives to smoking by increasing public awareness and education; to encourage the testing and development of products to achieve acceptable safety standards and reasonable regulation; and to promote the benefits of reduced harm alternatives."
January 19, 2012 - CASAA Director Greg Conley, 
once again advocating for smoke-free alternatives, 
at the FDA-TPSAC meeting in Maryland.


CASAA was born from the need for smokeless alternative users to have a collective voice against the anti-tobacco, anti-nicotine organizations calling for banning products from the market without any scientific evidence and spreading misinformation, lies and half-truths to the public and legislators. CASAA is a group of consumers, whose mission is to advocate for reduced harm or smoke-free alternatives, educate the public about the truth about smokeless alternatives and encourage the industry to promote testing and safety practices. CASAA's mission to protect the public comes by fighting for reasonable regulation of innovative, harm-reduction products and against unreasonable legislation. CASAA was not created to police industry business practices, as there are already consumer organizations and government offices set up for that purpose.

CASAA, again from day one, has been a loose co-operation between the industry and consumers, because it was understood that not only are a great number of e-cigarette businesses run by owners who are also consumers of and believe in the product that they sell, but that CASAA would not be able to accomplish it's goals efficiently without the involvement of the industry in advocating for their own products and for the consumers of those products. (CASAA was born in the e-cigarette community, but was ultimately formed as an overall tobacco harm reduction organization.) However, because it was obviously not in the best interests of the consumers for the industry to ever gain majority control over the board of directors, CASAA's bylaws strictly limit the number of directors with a vested interest in the e-cigarette, tobacco or pharmaceutical industry to just 25%. This ensures that consumers, and not any industry, will always have control of majority vote over CASAA's decisions and actions.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at board@casaa.org and we encourage people to attend our publicly-posted, bimonthly, online member meetings to learn more about who CASAA is and what we are doing to accomplish our mission.

This Webinar is held every 2 weeks on Sunday, from: Jan 22, 2012 to Apr 1, 2012 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM EASTERN TIME Register Now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/204379094 Once registered you will receive an email confirming your registration with information you need to join the Webinar.
System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

The time to act is NOW! Call to Action!           CASAA
182 St. Francis St.
Mobile, Alabama 36602
board@casaa.org  Join today!
CASAA is truly a grassroots organization and its success depends completely on the involvement of its members. If you currently use smokeless alternatives such as e-cigarettes or smokeless tobacco, your access to these products is threatened. Please consider donating your time or money to help keep smokeless alternatives available, affordable and effective. 
CASAA News  
Nicotine Patches, Gums Fail to Help Smokers Quit for Good01-12-2012 14:59:00 PMBy Michelle Fay Cortez and Alex Nussbaum Bloomberg Businessweek Jan. 10 (Bloomberg) 

-- Nicotine-replacing gums and patches like those from GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Pfizer Inc. failed to help smokers who quit the habit stay off cigarettes, even when used with professional counseling, a study found. [Read more]...»
Tighter tobacco rules on cruises worry e-smokers01-12-2012 14:39:00 PM(Note: This article has quotes from a CASAA member and CASAA President Elaine Keller.) 
 By Arlene Satchell, Sun Sentinel 11:51 a.m. EST, January 12, 2012 

A growing number of smokers are now using electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes to try to kick their tobacco products habit, but cruise lines don't agree on where to ban and where to permit e-cigarettes at sea. Some lump them with traditional tobacco cigarette smokers, while others give them near free rein in new policies that recently took effect or will soon. The policies pose a quandary for anyone who wants to enjoy a cruise but is trying hard to stay smoke-free. "I know I'd cancel any plans of a cruise vacation if I thought my electronic cigarette wasn't welcome on board the cruise ship and I know I'm not alone," said Laurel O'Neill of Nokomis, Fla. [Read more]...»
Augusta - Richmond County, GA Call to Action (UPDATE!)01-12-2012 14:24:00 PMUPDATE:  The Public Services Committee will meet at 10 a.m. Jan. 18 in the commission chamber at the municipal building for a special work session. Public hearings have already taken place on this proposed ordinance (and an e-cigarette user attended and spoke), so it is vital that e-mails are sent as soon as possible. Text: http://www.scribd.com/doc/69513527/Augusta-GA-Proposed-Smoking-Ban-With-E-Cigarettes This Ordinance could: Ban the use of electronic cigarettes, regardless of whether or not they contain nicotine, in places where tobacco cigarette smoking is prohibited. [Read more]...»
North Myrtle Beach, SC Call to Action01-12-2012 14:16:00 PM"Smoking in Public Places" Link to City Council Worshop Summary The North Myrtle Beach city council has stated publicly their intention to include electronic cigarettes in this ordinance, as they are concerned that people might not be able to distinguish an e-cigarette from a real cigarette in certain situations. The ordinance has yet to be published with the inclusion of e-cigarettes. This ordinance would presumably: Ban the use of electronic cigarettes in any public place where smoking is disallowed. The Council is meeting on Monday, January 23rd at 7:00 pm, to vote on the ordinance. Public comments will be allowed from any attendees wishing to speak. We strongly encourage local electronic cigarette users to attend and comment at the meeting. If you would like assistance with what to say, please contact us at board@casaa.org. [Read More]...»
Greek e-cigarette study called "amateur propaganda"01-12-2012 14:01:00 PM"This is the first evidence that just one (e-cigarette) use can have acute physiologic effects," said lead researcher Constantine I. Vardavas, of the Center for Global Tobacco Control at the Harvard School of Public Health.For the new study, Vardavas and colleagues in Athens had 30 healthy smokers puff on an e-cigarette to see how it affected their airways. The researchers found that after five minutes, users showed signs of airway constriction -- as measured by several types of breathing tests -- and of inflammation.

Or so says this quote from a recent Reuters article. Of course, the anti-tobacco and nicotine crowd, along with some media outlets, have picked up on this as "proof" that e-cigarettes are not "safe." 

However, in a review by Dr. Michael Siegel of the published research paper, the study actually shows that "in contrast to both tobacco cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke exposure, which have been shown to cause acute impairment of lung function, electronic cigarettes have no acute effect on pulmonary function as measured by spirometry testing." 
"...»
CASAA Member Meeting Sunday 1-08-1201-07-2012 16:33:00 PMThis Webinar is held every 2 weeks on Sunday, from: Jan 8, 2012 to Apr 1, 2012 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM EDT Register Now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/204379094 Once registered you will receive an email confirming your registration with information you need to join the Webinar. System Requirements PC-based attendees Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server Macintosh®-based attendees Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer ...»
Indianapolis-Marion County, IN Call to Action01-04-2012 19:06:00 PMA PROPOSAL FOR A GENERAL ORDINANCE amending Sec. 616 with respect to nonsmoking areas.

Link: http://www.indy.gov/egov/council/proposals/pages/home.aspx (#352) 

This ordinance would: Ban the use of electronic cigarettes in any public place where smoking is disallowed. ...»
And the Cassie goes to....01-02-2012 22:47:00 PMNicknamed the "Cassie," the annual CASAA "Butt-Head of the Year" awards are given to public health professionals and legislators "in recognition of the most creative truth-telling, incredible inaccuracy and exceptional fact-twisting in tobacco harm reduction." 

These are the winners of 2011: 

And the winner of the Cassie (with 56% of the vote) is... 
The White House 
The Twist: "E-cigarettes may contain ingredients that are known to be toxic to humans or otherwise harm public health -- for example, if they are attractive to young people and lead kids to try other tobacco products, including conventional cigarettes, which are known to cause disease and lead to premature death. Because clinical studies of these products have not been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), consumers currently have no way of knowing what types or concentrations of potentially harmful chemicals are found in these products, or how much nicotine people inhale when they use these products. FDA is taking steps, as authorized by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, to include electronic cigarettes under the agency's regulatory authority....»
End Canada's ban on electronic cigarettes01-02-2012 20:41:00 PMJesse Kline National Post 
 To the uninitiated, walking into this suburban Toronto bar must look like a throwback to the 1980s. A cloud of what appears to be smoke can be seen hovering over a group at the far end of the establishment. 

But a quick check of the sense confirms that looks can be deceiving.The air is fresh, lacking the pungent aroma of burning tobacco; the eyes aren't watering with the sting of fresh smoke seeping into the sockets; and instead of ash trays and cigarette packs, the tables are full of small bottles of liquid and other pieces of equipment. ...»
State of Wisconsin Call to Action!12-27-2011 22:39:00 PMCall to Action for Wisconsin RESIDENTS! LRB 1287/1 and 3573/1:AN ACT to renumber 101.123 (1) (h); and to create 101.123 (1) (h) 2m. of the statutes.

This bill specifies that the term "smoking," for purposes of the general prohibition against smoking in indoor locations, does not include holding, or inhaling or exhaling vapor or a vaporized solution from, an electronic device that does not contain tobacco. 

This bill would: Specifically exempt electronic cigarettes from the statewide indoor smoking ban. ...»
Successful smoking cessation with electronic cigarettes in smokers with a documented history of recurring relapses: a case series12-22-2011 16:00:00 PMAbstract Introduction: Smoking cessation programs are useful in helping smokers to quit, but smoking is a very difficult addiction to break and the need for novel and effective approaches to smoking cessation interventions is unquestionable. The E-cigarette is a battery-powered electronic nicotine delivery device that may help smokers to remain abstinent during their quit attempt. We report for the first time objective measures of smoking cessation in smokers who experimented with the E-cigarette. Case presentation: Three Caucasian smokers (two men aged 47 and 65 years and one woman aged 38 years) with a documented history of recurring relapses were able to quit and to remain abstinent for at least six months after taking up a cigarette....»
Institute recommendations will block development/approval of reduced risk tobacco products12-19-2011 13:23:00 PMThis commentary appears today on Dr. Siegel's tobacco policy blog, at: http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2011/12/iom-report-on-modified-risk-tobacco.html. 

IOM Report on Modified Risk Tobacco Products Interprets Tobacco Act as Putting Insurmountable Barriers in the Way of Reduced Risk Tobacco Products

The Institute of Medicine last week released its long-awaited report on the scientific evidence required to support designation of tobacco products as modified risk products under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act [the Tobacco Act]. The report recommends that extensive scientific evidence, including findings from randomized controlled trials and longitudinal cohort studies, be required to show that potential reduced risk products will reduce individual health risks and improve the public's health on a population basis....»
CASAA Member Meeting Sunday 12-17-1112-17-2011 22:40:00 PMTitle: CASAA member Meeting Date: Sunday, December 18, 2011 Time: 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM EST After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar. System Requirements: PC-based attendees Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server Macintosh®-based attendees Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/485125966 ...»
CASAA welcomes new directors12-11-2011 16:52:00 PMIn the past few weeks, the CASAA Board of Directors has gratefully expanded with the addition of two new directors, welcoming Karen Carey (MA) and Michael Cozzi (IL). Along with determination and passion,  Mrs. Carey brings a background in accounting and experience running the New England Vapers group and Mr. Cozzi, brings extensive IT experience to CASAA as well as being a well-known figure in the e-cigarette review and tutorial video world. 

The newest board members join the other 2011 additions: Secretary Jacinda Ross (UT), who is a local e-cigarette activist and has also taken on the demanding role as "the face of CASAA" on several vaping-related online shows joined the Board in July and Treasurer Gregory Conley (NJ), a law student (often referred to as CASAA's new "rock star") who joined the Board in February and tirelessly follows tobacco harm reduction legislation for the organization and has already contributed invaluable media contacts, FOIA documents, public testimony and legal support for CASAA. 

Dorothy Taylor, who is an LPN and active e-cigarette advocate who contributes her medical expertise to the cause, also joined the board back in February. The current Board of Directors also consists of Ron Ward (MD), informally acting as CASAA legal director, who joined the board in August 2010 and founding directors President Elaine Keller (VA); Vice President Kristin Noll-Marsh; Thad Marney (OR); Drew Gliem (NJ) and medical director Theresa Witt (TX)....»
Boston Globe publishes CASAA letter12-10-2011 17:56:00 PMThe Boston Globe published CASAA President Elaine Keller's Letter to the Editor, which is responding to the editorial that chided e-cigarette manufacturers for "resisiting FDA regulation". 

E-cigarette makers have devised smoking substitute that works THE DEC. 3 editorial "Banned in Boston, for now'' blames manufacturers of e-cigarettes for resisting "efforts at regulation by the federal Food and Drug Administration by labeling e-cigarettes as devices for smoking pleasure, not therapeutic devices for nicotine replacement.'' Why would the Globe want manufacturers to misrepresent the intended purpose of the products? 

Technically speaking, there is no such thing as a therapeutic product for nicotine replacement. Nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, and prescription inhalers should more properly be referred to as "nicotine weaning therapy'' products. Directions instruct consumers to use the products for a specified length of time, reduce the dosage of nicotine, and then discontinue use. 

Unfortunately, they don't work well. By the time treatment is completed, most consumers have already relapsed, and a year after treatment, 95 percent have resumed smoking. The idea behind e-cigarettes is to provide the nicotine that a smoker craves while eliminating nearly all of the smoking-related hazards.

Medicinal drugs and devices must undergo years of testing, costing as much as $800 million, and receive FDA approval before they can be sold for therapeutic purposes. E-cigarettes are intended to serve as a replacement for smoking, and they appear to work extremely well for this purpose. More than 90 percent of consumers who switch to e-cigarettes report better lung health, better markers of cardiovascular health, and improved stamina. In view of the fact that those who directly inhale the nicotine vapor are enjoying better health, how could the vapor they exhale, having been filtered through their lungs, be harmful to bystanders?

ELAINE KELLER President The Consumer Advocates for Smokefree Alternatives Association Springfield, Va....» Forward this email This email was sent to kristin.noll.marsh@gmail.com by board@casaa.org |  Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. CASAA | 182 St. Francis St. | Suite 300 | Mobile | AL | 36602

Chris Birks aka eciggyman has organised a VIP and Curry Night at the Loco in Haxey (NE Lincs). It would be great if we could have a late Winter meet up with a few ales and a warming curry. Please come along and support this event and support the pub

 

This is from his facebook post;

"The Loco is a truly lovely old themed pub in the charming village of Haxey.

 

It is in the "Good Pub Guide" and always has two guest real ales on pump.

 

The landlord (Ziggy) cooks authentic Indian cuisine and I have secured a special deal of just £5 a head, but he needs a figure of how many to cook about a week before the event.

 

If you wish to stay the night he has seven absolutely gorgeous rooms

Tariff is £50 single room and £60 for a double, including breakfast.

 

If all goes to plan we should have a fabulous night in a really great,

unusual pub....Railway enthusiasts will love it!"

It will be on Friday 24th February from 7.00 until 11.30 at The Loco, 31-33 Church Street Haxey Nr Doncaster DN9 2HY.

 

We hope to see a few of you there.  Here is a link to the pub's website.

 

 

Russell

By Michelle Fay Cortez and Alex Nussbaum
Bloomberg Businessweek


Jan. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Nicotine-replacing gums and patches like those from GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Pfizer Inc. failed to help smokers who quit the habit stay off cigarettes, even when used with professional counseling, a study found.


Researchers surveying 781 former smokers found almost a third relapsed even after using nicotine replacement products. Scientists said the results cast doubt on the long-term benefit of products like Pfizer’s Nicotrol inhaler and GlaxoSmithKline’s NicoDerm CQ patch and Nicorette gum, leaders in a market worth $1.2 billion annually, according to IMS Health, a research firm.


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration should only approve products that have been shown to help smokers quit and stay off cigarettes for years, said researcher Gregory Connolly, director of the Center for Global Tobacco Control at Harvard School of Public Health, in a statement.


“Using nicotine replacement therapy is no more effective in helping people stop smoking cigarettes in the long-term than trying to quit on one’s own,” said lead author Hillel Alpert, a Harvard research scientist.


[Read more]

(Note: This article has quotes from a CASAA member and CASAA President Elaine Keller.)


By Arlene Satchell, Sun Sentinel
11:51 a.m. EST, January 12, 2012

A growing number of smokers are now using electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes to try to kick their tobacco products habit, but cruise lines don't agree on where to ban and where to permit e-cigarettes at sea.

Some lump them with traditional tobacco cigarette smokers, while others give them near free rein in new policies that recently took effect or will soon.

The policies pose a quandary for anyone who wants to enjoy a cruise but is trying hard to stay smoke-free.

"I know I'd cancel any plans of a cruise vacation if I thought my electronic cigarette wasn't welcome on board the cruise ship and I know I'm not alone," said Laurel O'Neill of Nokomis, Fla.

[Read more]

UPDATE: 
The Public Services Committee will meet at 10 a.m. Jan. 18 in the commission chamber at the municipal building for a special work session.

Public hearings have already taken place on this proposed ordinance (and an e-cigarette user attended and spoke), so it is vital that e-mails are sent as soon as possible.



Text: http://www.scribd.com/doc/69513527/Augusta-GA-Proposed-Smoking-Ban-With-E-Cigarettes


This Ordinance could:
Ban the use of electronic cigarettes, regardless of whether or not they contain nicotine, in places where tobacco cigarette smoking is prohibited.


[Read more]

"Smoking in Public Places"
Link to City Council Worshop Summary

The North Myrtle Beach city council has stated publicly their intention to include electronic cigarettes in this ordinance, as they are concerned that people might not be able to distinguish an e-cigarette from a real cigarette in certain situations. The ordinance has yet to be published with the inclusion of e-cigarettes.

This ordinance would presumably:
Ban the use of electronic cigarettes in any public place where smoking is disallowed.
The Council is meeting on Monday, January 23rd at 7:00 pm, to vote on the ordinance. Public comments will be allowed from any attendees wishing to speak. We strongly encourage local electronic cigarette users to attend and comment at the meeting. If you would like assistance with what to say, please contact us at board@casaa.org.

[Read More]

"This is the first evidence that just one (e-cigarette) use can have acute physiologic effects," said lead researcher Constantine I. Vardavas, of the Center for Global Tobacco Control at the Harvard School of Public Health.For the new study, Vardavas and colleagues in Athens had 30 healthy smokers puff on an e-cigarette to see how it affected their airways. The researchers found that after five minutes, users showed signs of airway constriction -- as measured by several types of breathing tests -- and of inflammation.Or so says this quote from a recent Reuters article. Of course, the anti-tobacco and nicotine crowd, along with some media outlets, have picked up on this as "proof" that e-cigarettes are not "safe."

However, in a review by Dr. Michael Siegel of the published research paper, the study actually shows that "in contrast to both tobacco cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke exposure, which have been shown to cause acute impairment of lung function, electronic cigarettes have no acute effect on pulmonary function as measured by spirometry testing."

"In contrast to what some are reporting, the study found no effect of e-cigarettes on lung function, as measured by spirometry. This is in contrast to tobacco smoking, which does have effects on lung function that can be measured using spirometric testing," Dr. Siegel reported.

"While previous research indicates that active smoking and even secondhand smoke exposure can affect acute lung function as measured by spirometry, the study demonstrated that electronic cigarette use led to no impairment of lung function detectable via spirometric testing."

"What the study did show was subclinical evidence of impaired lung function, meaning that the observed (measurable) lung function was unchanged, but that there was evidence of physiologic effects consistent with some bronchial inflammation. What is not known is whether this acute bronchial inflammation has any significance in the long-term. The presence of bronchial inflammation may be a result of propylene glycol having a respiratory irritant effect. But this does not necessarily mean that long-term exposure would lead to any adverse effect on lung function. More research is necessary to clarify that point," he wrote.

Dr. Siegel also criticized the study, because it "failed to compare the acute respiratory effects of electronic cigarette exposure with those of active smoking, which is the most important comparison that needs to be made."

Dr. Paul Bergen, a tobacco harm reduction researcher, agreed, writing that "since this is supposed to be addressing the viability of e-cigarettes as alternatives for smokers, how about doing the obvious and comparing the airway constriction effects on smokers after a smoke and after a vape."

The American Council on Science and Health called the study "amateur propaganda"  and ACSH's Dr. Josh Bloom stated, “The moment I saw that they didn't run the same experiment using actual cigarettes," he says, "I knew this was pure (and not even especially well done) junk — an agenda-based report clumsily masquerading as science.”

According to the ACSH commentary, "the study’s lead researcher recommends that, instead of trying e-cigarettes as a reduced-risk method to quit smoking, smokers should “stick to the methods that are known to work.”

But ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross criticized this recommendation. “He would have more accurately said, ‘stick to the methods that are known to not work,’ since those currently approved have a ‘success’ rate of only 5 to 10 percent," said Dr. Ross. "It’s the old ‘quit or die,’ abstinence-only agenda.”

This Webinar is held every 2 weeks on Sunday, from: Jan 8, 2012 to Apr 1, 2012 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM EDT Register Now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/204379094 Once registered you will receive an email confirming your registration with information you need to join the Webinar. System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server Macintosh®-based attendees
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A PROPOSAL FOR A GENERAL ORDINANCE amending Sec. 616 with respect to nonsmoking areas.

Link: http://www.indy.gov/egov/council/proposals/pages/home.aspx (#352)
This ordinance would:
Ban the use of electronic cigarettes in any public place where smoking is disallowed.
There will be a public City-County Council meeting held on January 9th at 7:00 pm in the Public Assembly Room at the City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St., however, public comments will not be allowed. So it is extremely important to call and write! If you can, get a face-to-face meeting with your councilman to tell your story and demonstrate why e-cigarettes should NOT be included in the smoking ban. If you would like assistance with what to say, please contact us at board@casaa.org.


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