Smokers Protest NYC E-Cigarette Ban
As overbearing governments at every level react hysterically to the growing popularity of e-cigarettes they’re practically tripping over themselves rushing to regulate or ban their use. Even with unrepentant ‘Nanny Stater’ Michael Bloomberg out of office New York City has been at the forefront of the anti-vaping movement and have banned indoor use of e-cigarettes, treating them in the same way that traditional cigarettes are treated. In New York at least the e-cigarette users are not taking the new regulation lying down. After the indoor e-cig ban went into effect on Monday night they gathered for a ‘Vape-In’ to protest the excessive regulation of a healthier alternative to tobacco.
The event was organized by Libertarian political journal Reason magazine, the Museum of Sex and Henley Vaporium and hosted at the museum The event featured a number of high profile critics of regulating e-cigarettes who gave presentation and answered questions from the media. So far there is little evidence to suggest that the use of e-cigarettes are anywhere near as great of a health risk as traditional cigarettes. Vaping freedom advocates cite the FDA’s own report which concluded that the toxicity levels in e-cigarettes are far lower than those found in tobacco cigarettes. The power hungry agency recently proposed regulations giving them greater oversight and control of the ingredients that go in to e-cigarettes.
The reaction by the anti-tobacco forces and health scolds to e-cigarettes clearly reflect their disingenuous motives and hypocrisy. Initially, they framed more stringent regulation of tobacco products and smoking bans as being motivated by ‘public health’ concerns. Their hissy fit over e-cigarettes–a healthier and safer alternative that has helped countless smokers quit tobacco–clearly demonstrates that their goal has nothing to do with ‘public health’ and everything to do with greater control. Simply put, these forces could care less about the health and well being of Americans–they simply don’t like smoking and are using the health issue as a subterfuge to get their way.
Hopefully the NYC protest is the first of many and that e-cigarette smokers will continue to fight back against overreach by government agencies at every level. It’s no longer about ‘health’ or ‘science’–it’s about freedom and minimizing government control.