Connecticut vapers can't get their orders!

[Rexa]

I hate seeing an Attorney General instilling "scare tactics" on our fucking suppliers.

It's not banned yet. And if they do try and ban it let them go through their appropriate channels to get to that point.

My point in saying this is that one Attorney General does it then another and so forth, hoping that ecigs just quietly go away in their state or something while they get paid their stupid endorsements by Anti-smoking groups.

Am I missing something here? I'm not familiar with the way laws get passed but thats the jist I am getting out of this. I mean it's legal to have gunshops all over connecticut and anyone and there mother can buy a gun but you think they'd get so strict on ecigs?

[JustDucky]

As a result of my original post concerning the scare tactics used to keep certain vendors from shipping to Connecticut, Spikey asked me if I would join a group headed to Hartford to speak with AG Blumenthal. I was not sure I would be able to get away from work on the day they had arranged the audience, so I prepared an open letter outlining my concerns. As it turned out, I was able to make the trip with our fearless leader and another CT vaper. The three of us spent about two hours in the AG's office speaking, primarily, with two Assistant Attorneys General. Blumenthal, in person, attended for about half an hour.

I took the opportunity of presenting the following letter personally:

To: Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and whomever else it may concern,

If this were an article submitted for publication, it would have the title: "Why what Connecticut does with electronic cigarettes means so much to me." I have been a Connecticut resident since 1953. I attended and received a degree from Wesleyan University (Middletown) in 1957. I did post-graduate work and received degrees from Yale (New Haven) 1957-1962. I raised my family in Milford where I have lived since 1960. I have contributed in many ways to the Connecticut communities as an educator and musician. I feel that the state of Connecticut is on the verge of making a serious mistake concerning my health and the health of hundreds of others like me.

I probably had my first cigarette sixty years ago. At that time, the worst thing anyone said about smoking was that it would stunt your growth. As a six-foot tall high school athlete, this was not much of a threat. Almost every professional ball player endorsed one brand or another. By 1952 I was addicted to nicotine. The dire warnings came along later when it was too late to quit. Goodness knows I tried. Every time I went more than two days without a cigarette, I became irritable and difficult to live with. My wife put up with my smoking because the alternative was unacceptable, but banned me to the den over the garage to keep the house and her clothes from smelling too bad. Recently I had begun to cough incessantly and my doctor said my lungs were "noisy." I was short of breath and he prescribed Spiriva as a daily inhalant.

This past April my wife stuck an article about electronic cigarettes under my nose. The claim was that it would not smell up the place and that it did not contain the tars and carcinogens which were the cause of my emphysema. I did not expect to quit smoking (I'd tried that too many times before) but thought I might be able to cut back with this device. The result was more than I could have hoped for. Within three days I quit coughing. Within a week I knew I was breathing better and quit using the Spiriva. I had my last cigarette in April and have not smoked another since.

Yes, I am still addicted to nicotine which the e-cig supplies. But I am not subjecting my lungs to the by-products of combustion of tobacco which were making me sick. On a recent check-up, my doctor was very pleased with the changes which have taken place.

About two weeks ago I placed an order online for some liquid to vaporize. The vendor sent the following message back: "I'm sorry, but because of Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's stance on ecigs (which includes threatening legal action against ecig vendors), we have decided to not ship to that state. I do appreciate the order and would like to process it, but your state's AG would apparently prefer you smoke FDA approved traditional cigarettes, which are known to be deadly."

To my knowledge, there is no law on the books at present prohibiting me from using a personal vaporizer. I don't know of any law which says these are illegal to sell or purchase. If my supply of materials is cut off by a fear campaign based on misinformation and conjecture that these things are not safe, I will go back to smoking cigarettes which I have proof were killing me. I want to live a few more healthy years enjoying my six grandchildren. Please do not ban the electronic cigarettes without proof that they are more dangerous than cigarettes. Because I am convinced that the use of these devices has saved my life.

(Signed with name and address)

Did it do any good? I don't know. But my voice is on record now. Please add your own.

[JustJulie]

JustDucky . . . that was, well, just ducky.

Thank you for speaking so eloquently and powerfully on behalf of vapers everywhere. While I may not live in Connecticut, I know that what happens there does affect me . . . even all the way in Missouri. Each time a state or local municipality significantly limits and hampers our ability to responsibly use PVs, it makes it that much easier for another state or local municipality to do the same.

[tescela]

Originally Posted by Synthesis

My understand is that a few vendors are choosing not to ship to CT because of the possibility of Blumenthal banning e-cigs. There are some vendors who DO ship to CT. I wrote my letters before I found this forum. I just ordered from Myfreedomsmokes.com and they shipped to me.

Synthesis, if it is any comfort, all the AG could accomplish with an outright PV sales ban is to have packages relayed by friends in the network. Just ask the Australians.

We certainly aren't going to roll over and allow ourselves to be effectively murdered by being forced back to using analogs.

With all due respect for the AG (and I mean that sincerely), it is important that government officials know that we will not be quietly herded into the ghettos.

[tescela]

Originally Posted by JustDucky

As a result of my original post concerning the scare tactics used to keep certain vendors from shipping to Connecticut, Spikey asked me if I would join a group headed to Hartford to speak with AG Blumenthal. I was not sure I would be able to get away from work on the day they had arranged the audience, so I prepared an open letter outlining my concerns. As it turned out, I was able to make the trip with our fearless leader and another CT vaper. The three of us spent about two hours in the AG's office speaking, primarily, with two Assistant Attorneys General. Blumenthal, in person, attended for about half an hour.

Did it do any good? I don't know. But my voice is on record now. Please add your own.

Blumenthal gets points in my book for his willingness to meet with our representatives for a lengthy discussion of the issues. This sounds like it was more substantial than the typical "let them air their complaints" situation. Hopefully, it was a sincere attempt to better understand our position.

To our representatives that took the time to go meet with Blumenthal and his staff: thank you very much.


Can we get a more detailed assessment of the meeting?

[angelbear]

I do not live in CT but as a noob who is desperately trying to quit analogs I appreciate all ya all's efforts to keep pv's legal. I truly at this point see it, with the help of the Lord, as my only hope. Again Thank You for your efforts.

[NICKOFTIME]

Ducky,

A well written letter. Thank you for it and the time you took to deliver it.

[JustDucky]

AG Richard Blumenthal wants Chris Dodd's US senate seat. Dodd is stepping down after 40 years as a CT senator. Obama approves. I don't.

[CHC]

Originally Posted by tescela

To our representatives that took the time to go meet with Blumenthal and his staff: thank you very much.


Can we get a more detailed assessment of the meeting?

Thanks so much to all of you that put effort into this. I did not find this forum until a few days ago or I would have went with you. It is great to see people going out of their way for the benefit of our community!! Hopefully they listened with an open mind. We'll see what happens after Judge Leon releases his decision.

Thanks again

[greyeyes]

Hi CHC and welcome to VF.