Posted on 12/13/2010 7:37:59 PM PST by Stoat
Five years after Washington residents voted to ban smoking cigarettes, cigars and pipes in public places, King County wants to add one more thing to the list: Electronic cigarettes.
The 2006 state law banned smoking in bars and restaurants on the basis that second-hand smoke causes cancer and other diseases. King County's rationale for adding e-cigarettes, also known as battery-powered nicotine-delivery devices, to the list of forbidden acts is a little different.
The fake cigs, from which users inhale vaporized nicotine, don't emit smoke. Rather, they produce a less-smelly, combustion-free mist.
But public health officials say they're so similar to the real thing that they make tobacco enforcement difficult and often prompt smokers to think it's OK to light up in public. And that leads to second-hand smoke, health officials reason.
"The idea is that even though they're not exactly identical to cigarettes, people see folks using e-cigarettes, and they think somebody else is smoking," said Bud Nicola, a King County Board of Health member and affiliate professor with the University of Washington School of Public Health. "It makes it very difficult for inspectors."
(Excerpt) Read more at seattlepi.com ...
read later
The ecig is the reason I quit smoking after thirty years.
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I bought one a month ago and haven’t figured out how to put the filter in the darn thing. Grrrrr! It’s a Vaporking. Any help appreciated.
Okay, I just did a little research on the Vapor King brand.
(There’s a LOT of shops out there)
The Vapor King is a 510 model -one of the better kinds.
The batteries don’t last, but no problem. Totally Wicked sells longer lasting 510 size batteries.
You shouldn’t have any kind of filter. There’s a wicking material inside the cartridge that you soak with e-fluid, but that’s it. Personally, I throw away that crap and use a piece of tightly rolled Lipton Pyramid teabag material. It wicks better and doesn’t taste like it’s burning when the cartridge runs dry.
Check out e-cigarette-forum.com. They have all of the information on these. And the folks are very helpful.
Thank you so much! I’m going to that forum now. In the starter pack I bought it gave me a choice of filter strengths and included filters and a vial but I just didn’t see how those filters worked. Thanks again!
I'm the kind of guy who likes to have back-up, I opted for a kit that came with TWO e-cigs. I always have at least ready to 'vape', I'm glad I did. I have no complaint about the Joye Ego kit. I also bought the extended battery that last a full day. (I'm not affiliated with the shop. I was referred there by a buddy in Phoenix. He says the owners are conservative types ... and it was in boycotted Az.).
I've been exploring the flavors in hopes of disassociating the taste with the reward, vanilla is nice. The USA tobacco seems like the best tobacco flavor I tried. I've been mixing my own and reducing the nicotine slowly. (Oh boy, don't try the 48mg stock by itself, its quite strong!!!)
I goofed that location link in the post above in.,65
That company is in Washington state. It's where I bought all my 'juice' flavors.
The Az comapny is here.
Thanks RF. I ordered the starter kit. Getting my brother to try them will be a bit more difficult. :-}
Dec. 16 Board of Health approves electronic cigarette regulations
The King County Board of Health passed regulations today to protect King County youth from electronic smoking devices and unregulated nicotine delivery devices.
The Board of Health voted unanimously to:
“I am pleased that the Board of Health acted today to prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to youth and to restrict their use in public spaces,” said Board of Health Chair Julia Patterson. “E-cigarettes are used as a means to encourage people, especially our youth, to begin smoking. Their safety and long-term health impacts are untested and unknown. The Board of Health’s responsibility is to create policies that foster the health and well being of our community, and today’s action will help achieve that objective.”
Electronic smoking devices, commonly known as “e-cigarettes,” are battery-operated devices designed to look like and to be used in the same manner as conventional cigarettes. E-cigarettes use cartridges to deliver vaporized nicotine, the same highly addictive drug that’s in tobacco. The FDA is investigating e-cigarettes, but the products are currently unregulated at the federal level.
“This Board of Health proposal is a reasonable step to protect youth immediately in King County while federal authorities continue to look into these products,” said Dr. David Fleming, Director and Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “Through this regulation, young people in King County have one less opportunity to get hooked on nicotine.”
E-cigarettes have a high appeal to youth. They are sold in convenience stores and mall kiosks and come in candy flavors including chocolate, vanilla and mint. The FDA has warned that e-cigarettes can increase nicotine addiction among young people and may lead youth to try conventional tobacco products.
"The Board of Health's action will help protect our youth from the addictive effects of nicotine," said Boardmember Dr. Bud Nicola.
“The Board of Health heard from a number of people who use these as an alternative to real cigarettes, and there may be a harm-reduction role,” said Boardmember and Seattle City Councilmember Sally Clark. “But nicotine remains addictive, and the steps we took today are about protecting youth.”
As these products have become more widely available, public use has also increased. E-cigarettes mimic the appearance of regular cigarettes because the user exhales a smoke-like vapor similar in appearance to the exhaled smoke from a cigarette. Their use is virtually indistinguishable from the use of traditional tobacco products in public, which leads to confusion and prompts people to light and smoke traditional tobacco products.
“No matter how it’s delivered, nicotine is highly addictive. We took an important step today to keep these unknown products out of the hands of kids in King County,” said Boardmember and Lake Forest Park Mayor David Hutchinson.
The Board of Health convened a Tobacco Policy committee in June 2010 to review the evidence and develop new tobacco policies that respond to current policy opportunities and disparities in King County. Today’s regulations were endorsed by the committee members.
Several other jurisdictions across the nation have created similar regulations related to e-cigarettes but it is believed that King County’s regulations are the most comprehensive in the nation.
The King County Board of Health sets county-wide public health policy, enacts and enforces local public health regulations, and carries out other duties of local boards of health specified in state law. These duties include enforcing state public health statutes, preventing and controlling the spread of infectious disease, abating nuisances, and establishing fee schedules for licenses, permits and other services.
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