NYS legislator wants to classify vaping as smoking

The legislation season is upon is again. Let’s start by letting you know what CASAA.org has alerted us to: Assemblywoman Rosenthal has introduced a bill (AB 1496) which would deceptively redefine “smoking” under New York’s smoke-free air law to include vaping. AB 1496 would not only senselessly prohibit vaping in hundreds of thousands of indoor and outdoor areas in New York, but it would also ban vaping in New York’s 100+ independent vapor retail stores. Regardless of any exemptions that may be made for vapor stores, CASAA opposes this bill on the grounds that defining “vaping” as “smoking” is a deliberate misrepresentation that harms public awareness of the benefits these products offer to adult smokers.

CASAA has set up a letter for New York residents to respond. When you fill out your personal information, you are led to a page that has a form letter which will automatically be sent to your state assembly person and state senator. If you have time please add a personal message. Here is where you need to go.