HARRISBURG, P.A. – Today, the American Vaping Association, a leading advocate for the benefits of vapor products such as electronic cigarettes, will join with longtime Pennsylvania anti-smoking advocate Bill Godshall of Smokefree Pennsylvania to testify against HB 682 before the House Health Committee. If enacted, HB 682 would ban the use of vapor products in the same areas that smoking is prohibited.
The hearing begins at 11:00 AM in Room 205 of the State House in Harrisburg. The full oral testimonies of Gregory Conley and Bill Godshall will be available upon request at the end of the hearing.
Gregory Conley, President of the American Vaping Association, issued the following statement:
“Pennsylvania is the home to over two millions adult smokers. There is no science-based justification for restricting the use of these smoke-free and tobacco-free products. Simply put, HB 682 will harm public health by discouraging smokers from switching.”
Bill Godshall, longtime anti-smoking activist and the Executive Director of Smokefree Pennsylvania, issued the following statement:
“Seven years ago I stood behind Governor Rendell as he signed the Pennsylvania Clean Indoor Air Act. But today, I am urging the Pennsylvania House Health Committee to strongly oppose HB 682, which would ban the use of vapor products in all Pennsylvania indoor workplaces.
“Nicotine vapor products have already replaced about two billion packs of cigarettes in the United States. Public health benefits every time a smoker vapes instead of smoking a cigarette and vapor products have similar risk/benefit profiles as childhood vaccines, water and sewage treatment, and condoms.”
“The proposed vaping ban in HB 682 would prompt many vapers to go outside to smoking areas and be exposed to secondhand smoke once again. Even worse, it would deceive the public to inaccurately believe that vaping is just as hazardous as cigarette smoking.”
About the American Vaping Association
The American Vaping Association is a nonprofit organization that advocates for fair and sensible regulation of vapor products, otherwise known as electronic cigarettes, with the goal of maximizing the number of adult smokers who use these products to quit smoking. The AVA was founded by Gregory Conley, a consumer and industry advocate with a long track record of advocating for vapor products dating back to 2010.
We are dedicated to educating the public and government officials about public health benefits offered by vapor products, which are battery-powered devices that heat a liquid nicotine or nicotine-free solution and create an inhalable vapor. The AVA is not a trade group and does not speak for any particular businesses, including our industry sponsors.
You can learn more about AVA and vaping by visiting the AVA website. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.
