It is time to turn our attention to the special session in California, where the e-cigarette has a HUGE battle on their hands with several bills to fight. All eyes should give this situation a lookie-lou. If you are in Cali, YOU NEED TO FIGHT THIS. It is time to e-mail, fax, call, etc. Get Wednesday off of work and GO to the special session. Dress nice, and GO GO GO. Bring family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, fellow vapers, customers by the car, van, truck, or bus load. GO GO GO. This one is HUGE folks. If you don't know what's going on, hit the web, check out your favorite advocacy group for updates, SFATA, CASAA, Notblowingsmoke, AVA, Vaping Militia and others have all been posting info. People outside of Cali, do what you can, spread the word, share facebook posts, tweet to the CA Legislature #CALeg, send a e-mail or fax if you vacation in Cali and tell them you're not coming anymore. Now is NOT the time to leave the fighting to somebody else. Now is the time to join your brothers and sisters and use your VOICE. NOW, before there isn't a "Later".
~ Momma Vape
Showing posts with label AVA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AVA. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Fire up those pens and keyboards!
Momma Vape is my newest name in life. It's funny how many shoes we fill as we progress through the stages of living. Daughter, cousin, granddaughter, girlfriend, wife, mom, aunt, grandma, great grandma, friend, co-worker, coupon queen, frugal, environmentalist, feminist, genealogist, advocate, musician, employee, boss, business owner, etc., are all titles that make up part of who I am. Notice writer is not on the list. I've been known for a pretty good poison pen letter a few times in my life. When emotion grips me, often the anger one, sometimes the words will flow. Most of the time, writing is a struggle for me. So it is kind of ironic that I am trying to write an (almost) daily blog!
One of the titles above is coupon queen. I am rather proud of that one. I have never had endless funds to spend. I have always had to be thrifty. I grew up in that environment and my family are experts at fixing things, re-using things, and stretching a dollar.
Between the writing and the money, I'm sure I have hit a common thread with most of the people reading this. By now, you are probably wondering what the 2 things have in common. I promise they are connected!!!!
As we look at vaping advocacy, we are up against some people who have a lot of cold hard cash to throw in the battle against us. I wonder how much money big tobacco has to spend on ads and lobbyists? How about the Pharmaceutical companies? All the non-smoking organizations funded by the tobacco settlement? Americans For NonSmokers Rights, Cancer Associations, Health Associations, Medical Groups, Youth groups, there is a long list of people who stand before us and our right to vape and our ability to help others quit smoking. We are but a few. We have some great organizations standing up for us, #NOTBlowingSmoke, CASAA, SFATA, AVA, Vaping Militia, all our state organizations, etc. are fighting with all their mite! But dollar for dollar, these groups that fight for us do not have the funding to hire as many lobbyists, buy billboards, buy tv ads, buy radio ads, put ads in the newspaper, print brochures, travel to speak, etc. as the groups fighting for us have.
That my friends is a problem!!!!! The Momma Vape side of my life needs to join forces with the Coupon Queen side. All of you need to do the same. A few days ago, the project for the day was to donate $5 to advocacy. I encourage you to donate to a vaping advocacy group every opportunity that you can. But I also encourage you to join in at that grass roots level, the old fashioned "let your voices be heard" level. Speak up, write, promote, and educate about vaping!!!!
How can you do this???? Use home made signs when you go to a meeting or a hearing. Make homemade flyers and hang them on the bulleting board down at the gas station, wear vaping t-shirts, put a pro-vaping bumper sticker on your car. AND WRITE!! Yes, write. Don't tell me you can't do it because you can. And if you have a barrier that makes it hard for you to do this (like a learning disability that makes it hard for you to write) then ask a friend to write your words for you. Tell them what you want to say. Write a draft, put it down, go back to it later and read it, edit it, keep at it and then hit that send button and send it off!
If there is no current battle in your area, if you don't need to write to your senator today, then write a letter to the editor. Help all of us educate the public, sway public opinion. We are getting to the point in this battle where we now need the help of NONVAPERS to support us, what we do, and why we do it. All those negative ads are hurting us. It is time to turn the tide! If you are on facebook, the #NOTBlowingSmoke group (click here) has some excellent graphics that are awesome and should be shared. They are also on twitter (click here). Follow them, they are good at what they do.
Don't know what to write? Tell you story, tell how you believe vaping is saving your life. Take 1 lie that is spread about vaping and write a paragraph or two and tell the truth. You don't need to write a book, just a paragraph or 2. Not all letters will get printed, but each one that does helps raise awareness, helps educate. Keep them professional, use a spell checker, and put your thoughts and feelings into words.
If Momma Vape can do it, you can do it, too! My Letter to the editor 8/3/15 (click here)
Please feel free to post your letters in the comments below, or links to any letters that get printed.
~ Momma Vape
One of the titles above is coupon queen. I am rather proud of that one. I have never had endless funds to spend. I have always had to be thrifty. I grew up in that environment and my family are experts at fixing things, re-using things, and stretching a dollar.
Between the writing and the money, I'm sure I have hit a common thread with most of the people reading this. By now, you are probably wondering what the 2 things have in common. I promise they are connected!!!!
As we look at vaping advocacy, we are up against some people who have a lot of cold hard cash to throw in the battle against us. I wonder how much money big tobacco has to spend on ads and lobbyists? How about the Pharmaceutical companies? All the non-smoking organizations funded by the tobacco settlement? Americans For NonSmokers Rights, Cancer Associations, Health Associations, Medical Groups, Youth groups, there is a long list of people who stand before us and our right to vape and our ability to help others quit smoking. We are but a few. We have some great organizations standing up for us, #NOTBlowingSmoke, CASAA, SFATA, AVA, Vaping Militia, all our state organizations, etc. are fighting with all their mite! But dollar for dollar, these groups that fight for us do not have the funding to hire as many lobbyists, buy billboards, buy tv ads, buy radio ads, put ads in the newspaper, print brochures, travel to speak, etc. as the groups fighting for us have.
That my friends is a problem!!!!! The Momma Vape side of my life needs to join forces with the Coupon Queen side. All of you need to do the same. A few days ago, the project for the day was to donate $5 to advocacy. I encourage you to donate to a vaping advocacy group every opportunity that you can. But I also encourage you to join in at that grass roots level, the old fashioned "let your voices be heard" level. Speak up, write, promote, and educate about vaping!!!!
How can you do this???? Use home made signs when you go to a meeting or a hearing. Make homemade flyers and hang them on the bulleting board down at the gas station, wear vaping t-shirts, put a pro-vaping bumper sticker on your car. AND WRITE!! Yes, write. Don't tell me you can't do it because you can. And if you have a barrier that makes it hard for you to do this (like a learning disability that makes it hard for you to write) then ask a friend to write your words for you. Tell them what you want to say. Write a draft, put it down, go back to it later and read it, edit it, keep at it and then hit that send button and send it off!
If there is no current battle in your area, if you don't need to write to your senator today, then write a letter to the editor. Help all of us educate the public, sway public opinion. We are getting to the point in this battle where we now need the help of NONVAPERS to support us, what we do, and why we do it. All those negative ads are hurting us. It is time to turn the tide! If you are on facebook, the #NOTBlowingSmoke group (click here) has some excellent graphics that are awesome and should be shared. They are also on twitter (click here). Follow them, they are good at what they do.
Don't know what to write? Tell you story, tell how you believe vaping is saving your life. Take 1 lie that is spread about vaping and write a paragraph or two and tell the truth. You don't need to write a book, just a paragraph or 2. Not all letters will get printed, but each one that does helps raise awareness, helps educate. Keep them professional, use a spell checker, and put your thoughts and feelings into words.
If Momma Vape can do it, you can do it, too! My Letter to the editor 8/3/15 (click here)
Please feel free to post your letters in the comments below, or links to any letters that get printed.
~ Momma Vape
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Try it, you'll "LIKE" it!
For those of you on facebook, find an advocacy group you haven't participated in yet, give them a "LIKE" and then be sure you click the option to "follow" or "get notifications" so their posts show up on your news feed. There are TONS of active advocacy groups on facebook. You should be able to find one for your state and national ones. There are some for consumers and some for businesses. If you don' know of any, ask your vaping friends or at a local shop. I'll give a couple of national ones below. Feel free to leave a comment with your favorite facebook advocacy groups! (Local, State, National, or World)
The Vaping Militia
CASAA
NOT Blowing Smoke
AVA
SFATA
Wishing you all a smoke free day!
~ Momma Vape
The Vaping Militia
CASAA
NOT Blowing Smoke
AVA
SFATA
Wishing you all a smoke free day!
~ Momma Vape
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Who can give me 5 on Donut Day??
We're not talking a High Five, or 5 pushups, or 5 minutes. Today, we're wondering who can toss at least $5 into the hat for the benefit of vaping?
OMG, I just realized I typoed the title, it's DONATE DAY, not Donut Day! LOL guess I've got breakfast on my mind. :)
$5.. can you imagine what would happen if each of us could donate $5 to the cause? What is $5? A hamburger, a flavored coffee, a coil or 2, or even a couple of donuts. I'm betting most of us could find a way to squeak at least $5 out of our budgets.
Advocacy can be expensive. Paying for lobbyists, printed material, websites, advertising and travel expenses are just a few of the things that advocacy organizations need funding for.
So how about it? Can you give vaping advocacy a 5? I'll give you a virtual high 5 in return! I'll suggest a couple of possible advocacy organizations below, you will also find organizations specific to your state and other national organizations if you search for them. It's not important to me which one you give to, as long as you give!
#NOTBlowingSmoke
The American Vaping Association
The last one I'm going to list is not for a vaping organization, even though it is run by vapers. 4 little vape shops in a small community are putting community FIRST and raising funds to help local residents recover from a devastating storm that dropped thousands of trees on homes, cars, power lines, businesses, etc. They have set a goal to raise $1000. You can find it here: Brainerd Lakes Area Storm Relief Fund As soon as the vapers in this area are done helping their community get back on their feet, this merry band of vapers WILL return to the fight, as they are facing local anti-vaping ordinances in the near futre.
It will only take a couple of minutes to pick an organization, click on "donate" and contribute to the cause. Feels good doesn't it? It is so easy to be an active, daily advocate!
~ Momma Vape
OMG, I just realized I typoed the title, it's DONATE DAY, not Donut Day! LOL guess I've got breakfast on my mind. :)
$5.. can you imagine what would happen if each of us could donate $5 to the cause? What is $5? A hamburger, a flavored coffee, a coil or 2, or even a couple of donuts. I'm betting most of us could find a way to squeak at least $5 out of our budgets.
Advocacy can be expensive. Paying for lobbyists, printed material, websites, advertising and travel expenses are just a few of the things that advocacy organizations need funding for.
So how about it? Can you give vaping advocacy a 5? I'll give you a virtual high 5 in return! I'll suggest a couple of possible advocacy organizations below, you will also find organizations specific to your state and other national organizations if you search for them. It's not important to me which one you give to, as long as you give!
#NOTBlowingSmoke
The American Vaping Association
The last one I'm going to list is not for a vaping organization, even though it is run by vapers. 4 little vape shops in a small community are putting community FIRST and raising funds to help local residents recover from a devastating storm that dropped thousands of trees on homes, cars, power lines, businesses, etc. They have set a goal to raise $1000. You can find it here: Brainerd Lakes Area Storm Relief Fund As soon as the vapers in this area are done helping their community get back on their feet, this merry band of vapers WILL return to the fight, as they are facing local anti-vaping ordinances in the near futre.
It will only take a couple of minutes to pick an organization, click on "donate" and contribute to the cause. Feels good doesn't it? It is so easy to be an active, daily advocate!
~ Momma Vape
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Truth About Vaping - EMERGENCY ALERT
Sometimes politics leaves me with a really rotten taste in my mouth. Current events in California is just the type of politics I'm thinking of. I get really frustrated when it's all about the money and not about the people!
Today it does not matter if you're in California or somewhere else. Today's project is to spend a couple of minutes and watch a video and educate yourself. Any one who has watched old movies has heard the expression "READY, AIM, FIRE!". Watch the video and start following the groups it mentions, and be ready for the next step. It's very true, "if it can happen in California, it can happen anywhere". It's a train we must all work together to stop!
Video: Truth About Vaping - EMERGENCY ALERT
Other useful links....
NotBlowingSmoke.org on facebook
NotBlowingSmoke.org Official Website
NotBlowingSmoke.org on twitter
The Vaping Militia on facebook
The Vaping Militia official website
The Vaping Militia on Twitter
CASAA on Facebook
CASAA official website
CASAA on Twitter
SFATA on facebook
SFATA official website
SFATA on twitter
AVA on facebook
AVA official website
AVA on twitter
Let's aim our sites on unfair anti-vaping legislation!
Today it does not matter if you're in California or somewhere else. Today's project is to spend a couple of minutes and watch a video and educate yourself. Any one who has watched old movies has heard the expression "READY, AIM, FIRE!". Watch the video and start following the groups it mentions, and be ready for the next step. It's very true, "if it can happen in California, it can happen anywhere". It's a train we must all work together to stop!
Video: Truth About Vaping - EMERGENCY ALERT
Other useful links....
NotBlowingSmoke.org on facebook
NotBlowingSmoke.org Official Website
NotBlowingSmoke.org on twitter
The Vaping Militia on facebook
The Vaping Militia official website
The Vaping Militia on Twitter
CASAA on Facebook
CASAA official website
CASAA on Twitter
SFATA on facebook
SFATA official website
SFATA on twitter
AVA on facebook
AVA official website
AVA on twitter
Let's aim our sites on unfair anti-vaping legislation!
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