Memorial Day Thanks & The Current State of our Vaping Freedom

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have fought and died in service to our country. Their sacrifice has allowed us the ability to live in the greatest country on earth and have the freedom to totally take our freedom for granted. Originally called Decoration Day after the Civil War, Memorial Day has developed into a day of remembrance for all of our fallen veterans. I just want to take a moment and say thank you to all our current service members, and to the families of the fallen for the sacrifices you have made for each and every one of us.

We as a community are fighting a battle on a much smaller scale than those we remember, but one that could impact our lives in a very big way. Fighting for our right to vape is not something that we should be taking lightly. As is evidenced by the law recently passed in Indiana, this is an uphill battle that requires each and every one of us. If we want to maintain our freedom to vape, we cannot get complacent and must keep up the fight. Here are a couple of resources to let you know how you can help fight for our right to vape:

FDA Public Workshop – June 1st and 2nd, 2015 the FDA is holding a workshop on E-Cigarettes and the Public Health. If you are able, please register to attend. If you are not able to attend, please submit in writing your comment regarding e-cigs.

CASAA.org – A website offering the ability to search for calls of action based on your state. This will let you know recent updates and requests for your voice to join the battle near you.

Mt Baker Vapor Forum – A list of all regions and the current legislative concerns in those regions.

Mt Baker Vapor Advocacy – A place for updates on all current e-cig regulation concerns with the ability to ask questions and get to know other advocates in our community.

When contacting anyone regarding vapor product regulations, please be sure to follow these basic guidelines:

Always be respectful but firm when articulating what you are asking for. They may not know much about the e-cigarette industry.

Briefly tell your personal story on how switching to an e-cigarette has changed your life or the life of someone you love.

Explain how smoking bans and restrictions are enacted to protect the public from the harm of secondhand smoke, but that e-cigarettes produce no tobacco smoke and there is currently no credible scientific basis demonstrating that e-cigarettes cause harm to bystanders.

Inform them of the current information regarding the restrictions they are trying to enact. For instance, if your local legislation is working to require vaping be allowed only in smoking areas, you would inform them that this would actually force you, someone who does not currently inhale the toxins in cigarettes, to inhale second hand smoke whenever you want to vape. For details on restrictions and examples of responses in your area, please check out the links above.

Remember, we are fighting preconceived notions and public perceptions. It is vital that we all maintain a polite and specific response to our local legislators. Any angry or accusatory responses will more than likely hurt our cause, not help it. The best thing you can do is approach your letter as if you were writing to someone who has no knowledge of electronic cigarettes what so ever. That way there is not anger, just passion and education communicated.

I can’t say it enough, we need you to stand up and speak out with us to fight for our right to vape. We are a very small community compared to those we are fighting, and we cannot afford to be complacent. Don’t assume that someone else is already fighting so you aren’t needed. The more voices that come together, the louder we are and the more we will be heard.

Remember, at 3pm local time today is a national moment of silence to honor our fallen this Memorial Day. We cannot thank our armed forces men and women enough. Anyone interested in helping contribute to the vaping of our current service members, please check out The Vape a Vet Project. Vape on!

Written by: Michelle Harnden