Ruthless Money-Grubbers ::: California to Ban the Sale of Electronic Cigarettes

I love the whole concept of e-cigarettes. Now I just might have to buy them if for no other reason than to irritate a statist.

Posted at FR (pdf link to altered bill included):

The bill in California, SB400, Has Passed - The right to Vape (inhale from a non-combustible e-cig) is slipping away. California has passed a bill (although not yet signed into law) that will ban the sale of Electronic Cigarette in California.

What began as a bill to "prohibit the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors", morphed into a bill that prohibits the sale of electronic cigarettes to anyone until or unless the FDA approves them. And the legislature passed SB400 while we were focused on the 9/11 commemorations.

The vote was AYES

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Aanestad Alquist Cedillo Corbett Correa DeSaulnier Ducheny Florez Hancock Kehoe Leno Liu Lowenthal Maldonado Negrete McLeod Oropeza Pavley Price Romero Simitian Steinberg Wiggins Wolk Yee

NOES

Ashburn Benoit Calderon Cogdill Cox Denham Dutton Harman Hollingsworth Huff Runner Strickland Walters Wyland

ABSENT, ABSTAINING, OR NOT VOTING *********************************

Padilla Wright

California lawmakers are so addicted to the tax dollars generated by cigarette taxes that they are willing to throw untaxed e-cig users under a bus -- even though e-cigs have virtually the same ingredients as all the nicotine replacement products now freely sold over the counter. The difference is that this delivery system really works in getting people to quit smoking cigarettes, and it doesn't have the ingredients that kill you -- but Big Pharma doesn't own the rights.

This bill also defers a State issue to the power of the Federal Government.

The bill isn't law until Governor Schwarzenegger signs it. Please call or write his office at:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916-445-2841 Fax: 916-558-3160 ( new number )

District Offices:

Fresno Office 2550 Mariposa Mall #3013 Fresno, CA 93721 Phone: 559-477-1804 Fax: 559-445-5328

Los Angeles Office 300 South Spring Street Suite 16701 Los Angeles, CA 90013 Phone: 213-897-0322 Fax: 213-897-0319

Riverside Office 3737 Main Street #201 Riverside, CA 92501 Phone: 951-680-6860 Fax: 951-680-6863

San Diego Office 1350 Front Street Suite 6054 San Diego, CA 92101 Phone: 619-525-4641 Fax: 619-525-4640

San Francisco Office 455 Golden Gate Avenue Suite 14000 San Francisco, CA 94102 Phone: 415-703-2218 Fax: 415-703-2803

Washington D.C. Office 134 Hall of the States 444 North Capitol Street NW Washington D.C. 20001 Phone: 202-624-5270 Fax: 202-624-5280

California to Ban the Sale of Electronic Cigarettes