SACRAMENTO, C.A. – Today, the American Vaping Association, a leading advocate for the benefits of vapor products such as electronic cigarettes, urged the California Senate Committee on Health to reject SB 140, a bill by State Sen. Mark Leno (D – San Francisco) that would prohibit ‘vaping’ wherever smoking is not permitted in California and classify these tobacco-free devices as ‘tobacco products’ under California’s tobacco licensing and business regulations.
The Senate Committee on Health will hear the bill today, April 8th, at a 1 PM hearing. The AVA’s full written testimony and supporting documentation can be read here.
Gregory Conley, President of the American Vaping Association, issued the following statement:
“Vapor products are smoke-free, tobacco-free, and often nicotine-free. These devices are not tobacco products and treating them as such sends the absolute wrong message to California’s 3.6 million-plus adult smokers.
“Despite being sold to the public as a measure to protect youth, this bill will actually serve to protect Big Tobacco by discouraging smokers from quitting.
“Prohibiting the use of smoke-free vapor products in all areas of the state where deadly traditionally cigarettes are not permitted is not justified by the science. The same is true of the burdensome tobacco licensing regime proposed in the bill.
“Every month, more studies emerge showing that vapor products are far less hazardous than smoking for users, pose no significant risk to bystanders, and are effective at helping smokers kick the habit. Indeed, two recent government-funded surveys have found that vapor products are now the most used product by smokers looking to quit in Minnesota and Oklahoma. The same is almost undoubtedly true in California.
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You can learn more about AVA and vaping by visiting the AVA website.
The AVA has previously commented on the California Department of Public Health’s deceptive campaign against vaping. Read our comments (1, 2, 3, 4).
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.
