SACRAMENTO, C.A. – Today, the American Vaping Association, a leading advocate for the benefits of vapor products such as electronic cigarettes, reacted to today’s announcement by California State Sen. Mark Leno (D – San Francisco) that he would be filing a bill to ban the use of vapor products wherever “smoking” is banned in the State of California.
A full copy of the filed bill is not yet available. Please feel free to follow up for additional or modified comments when the bill becomes available.
Gregory Conley, President of the American Vaping Association, issued the following statement:
“Vapor products are technology products, not tobacco products. There is no scientific evidence that justifies the California government treating smoke-free, tobacco-free, and often nicotine-free products the same as deadly combustible cigarettes. Indeed, a published comprehensive toxicological review conducted by Dr. Igor Burstyn of Drexel University concluded that there is no evidence that the aerosol produced by vapor products poses a threat to the health of bystanders.
“California’s so-called ‘anti-smoking’ groups seem to be spending more time fighting smoke-free vapor products than they are cigarettes, which we know are responsible for over 400,000 deaths per year. This bill represents just one of many actions taken as a part of a concerned misinformation campaign by activist groups that seek to frighten California smokers away from using low-risk vapor products, with the end result being that many will simply continue to smoke.
“By classifying the use of vapor products as ‘smoking,’ this bill sends the incorrect and irresponsible message to California’s 3.6 million adult smokers that vaping may be just as hazardous as smoking. California smokers deserve truthful information about smoke-free alternatives, not hype and conjecture designed to scare them away from attempting to quit with these innovative technology products. We are hopeful that California legislators will snuff out this unnecessary and potentially harmful bill.”
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.
