Tobacco Harm Reduction Takes a Hit in Minnesota

We've all heard the heartbreaking news that over 480,000 Americans die from smoking related causes every year. We've also heard the projections that a BILLION people around the world will die from smoking this century. Heartbreaking to think of so many early deaths, so many families grieving for loved ones. So much money spent on the health effects of smoking. 

Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) is a proven strategy in countries like the UK and Sweden, and if America had any brains at all, we would follow the lead of these countries and embrace THR ourselves. These products help smokers switch to a safer alternative, and don't pose a risk to people who are around smokers.

When it comes to THR, the United States has taken a more cautious approach. As a matter of fact, we've gotten way off track here in America. We forgot the war was on smoking, and have switched our focus to nicotine, which is a stimulant much like caffeine is. Because we've forgotten about the war on smoking and changed our strategy to a war on nicotine, we are going to see more needless deaths than we should be seeing.

Minnesota is a prime example. We have gone down the path of restricting adults access to THR products which are legal in MN. We are doing that one city and county at a time. From banning adults from being able to purchase a flavored THR product anywhere they can buy a cigarette, to banning some adults from purchasing any THR products, to restricting where some people can buy THR products, we're a mixed bag of regression and oppression here in Minnesota.

Just this week the city of Brooklyn Center passed an ordinance that restricts the purchase of some THR products to adult only stores, while leaving it legal to buy a pack of cigarettes at the corner gas station, the local grocery store, and the neighborhood pharmacy. It will now be easier in Brooklyn Center to purchase the cigarettes that can kill you, than it will be to buy things like vapor technology that can help people quit smoking and save lives.

Also this week Ottertail County, MN decided to circumvent the jurisdiction of cities to pass ordinances over THR products (THR is lumped in with tobacco in MN) and ban young adults from purchasing THR products by calling their new ordinance a "Public Health" ordinance instead of a "Tobacco" ordinance. The county has now decided to tell all cities in it's borders that young adults can not buy products that can help them quit smoking for reasons of "Public Health". What is healthy about that?

I'm not sure what the lawmakers in MN are thinking (or smoking?), or if there is something weird in our water, but it breaks my heart to see our leaders making it hard or illegal for adults to purchase the products that can help them switch from smoking to a safer alternative. Are we telling our citizens that even though we say they should quit smoking, secretly we hope they never will?

Age to Vape - SFATA

While not all states have passed a minimum age to vape, Momma Vape encourages all shops to refuse to sell to anyone under the age of 18. Some states do have laws on the legal age to vape, and the age ranges from 18 to 21. Is the minimum age to vape post on the door of your favorite shop? If not, please tell them about the FREE Age To Vape Door Decal from SFATA (click here). I'd love to see a sign on every vape shop, tobacco shop, and gas station that sells vape gear all across the USA! Let's work together to dispel the myth that we are marketing to children and do everything in our power to spread the truth. The truth is, we are all about helping people QUIT smoking by what ever method works best for them, and then helping them to resist the urge to ever return to smoking. We do this because we believe that helping save lives is the right thing to do.

Have a great day! Don't forget to spend time with the ones you love.
~ Momma Vape

Is It The Nicotine?

What do you know about nicotine? Is or was it hard for you to quit smoking because of a nicotine addiction? Today's project will take you less than 5 minutes, watch this video The Truth About Vaping - The Nicotine Misconception" and see if you feel the same about YOUR "nicotine addiction" when your done.

Hope you all are having a great weekend!
~ Momma Vape

We All Have a Story To Tell

Today's project: Tell you story. You can tell it to someone in person, you can post it on facebook, you can tweet it, you can type it up and save if for the next letter writing campaign. Stories / testimonials are a powerful advocacy tool. You're vaping for a reason, and maybe your reason will be the one that some smoker needs to hear to get motivated to quit smoking.

Have a great weekend!
~ Momma Vape

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

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!

#StoryForChange - Surgeon General Seeks Quit Smoking Stories

OK Vapers.... fire off a quick tweet with your quit smoking by vaping story. Be sure to include the #StoryForChange hashtag in your tweet! These stories are requested by our U.S. Surgeon General!

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, serves as America’s doctor, providing info to improve public health & leading the USPHS Commissioned Corps.

Anybody wondering why we would do this??? Well, it's a numbers game and here's a great opportunity to remind the government of how many of us are living healthier and longer lives as ex-smokers (and people who smoke less).

There, your quick advocacy trip is done for the day!

Ahhhhh, feels good to have our voices heard, doesn't it? :)
~ Momma Vape
We're on facebook! The Daily Advocate by Momma Vape
Sometimes you can find me hanging out on twitter @imaracingmom

Vote NO Day

Today's trip down the advocacy trail finds us stopping in the small town of Baxter, MN population 7,781. Baxter boarders the larger town of Brainerd which has a population of 13,487. The two towns support 4 dedicated vape shops.

These communities are highly dependent on the tourist industry, so the area vape shops have invited everyone to participate in the poll published by the local paper, The Brainerd Dispatch. The poll is on the right side of this article Baxter City Coucil: Baxter looks at restricting e-cigs and is titled: "Should e-cigarettes be restricted like regular cigarettes?"

Several of the Baxter area hotels have submitted a letter to the Baxter city council requesting the the council write an ordinance to include vaping as part of the clean indoor air act. This would mean that local businesses could no longer decide if they want to allow indoor vaping or not. One of the things the owners / managers of the hotels told the Baxter city council is "It is also well-documented that not only nicotine, but controlled substances such as marijuana and hashish oils are commonly used in them." (Emphasis is my own)

The goal of a facebook event Vote NO Day - "Should e-cigs be regulated like regular cigarettes" is to achieve 1000 votes by the end of the day.

Vape On!
~ Momma Vape
We're on facebook: The Daily Advocate by Momma Vape
Twitter: @imaracingmom