Posts Tagged ‘awareness’

Cruise Lines Tightening Rules on Smoking

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

One of the reasons many are choosing e-cigarettes over traditional ‘analog’ cigarettes is the increasing restrictions on smoking in public. Restaurants, airplanes, stadiums and many other public venues with large crowds generally have restrictions on where you can light up.

Cruise lines like “Princess’ Cruises” are tightening the screws on smokers as well. Going forward, guest of the cruise line will not be able to smoke in their staterooms or on balconies. Three other cruise lines (Carnival, Holland America and Norwegian) are joining Princess in cracking down on where travelers can light up.

“Our consumer studies show that smokers are a small minority of our passengers, and that the large majority of passengers value having their primary living space on-board smoke-free,” comments Jan Swartz, Executive Vice President of Princess Cruise Lines.

In fact, the numbers of smokers has been on a steady decline for years. Only 19.3% of adults, or 45 million Americans, smoked cigarettes in 2010 according to federal health regulators…in 2005, 20.9% of adults were smokers.

At iCruise.com, a Florida based cruise agency, complaints about smoky cabins and balconies have dropped sharply. Don Walker, co-president of iCruise, says the drop can be attributed to tighter rules on smoking onboard cruise ships. Walker says smokers seem accepting of these restrictions.

How are these policies affecting e-cigarette users?

Depends on the cruise line.

Some are lumping e-cigarette users in with regular smokers and asking them to only use their devices in designated areas while others clearly distinguish between the two and allow e-cigarettes in staterooms and around the ship.

On Princess, guests are allowed to use their e-cigarette in their staterooms since they leave no odor and have no known second-hand effects. However, their use is restricted in dining halls and theaters.  Carnival on the other hand is restricting e-cigarettes to designated smoking areas since they’re relatively new and not much is ‘officially’ known about them.

Tightening restrictions on smoking in public areas is serving as an impetus for smokers to either quit or seek alternatives like e-cigarettes.

While there are still many misconceptions out there, it’s not fair for digital e-cigarettes to be lumped in with traditional ‘analog’ smokers. Next time you’re taking a cruise or traveling, be aware of any of these restrictions and mindful of others around you.

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Federal Regulations Banning E-Cigarettes on Airplanes Moving Forward

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

Electronic cigarettes – or rather their use – may soon be formally banned on all passenger aircraft in the United States.  As you probably know, smoking a cigarette on your flight has been illegal for quite some time…since 1987 in fact.

The original law passed by Congress states (…in 49 USC Section 41706) “An individual may not ‘smoke’ in an aircraft.” After the law was passed, the U.S. Department of Transportation wrote regulations to enforce this new law.

However, using an e-cigarette is not smoking as defined by DOT regulations. Combustion does not occur and the device doesn’t emit smoke, it emits (…and you exhale) water vapor.  Therefore, it cannot be legally regulated under current law. What would need to occur is for Congress to amend the 1987 law to include electronic cigarette devices.

Today though, it appears the DOT is essentially writing its own laws to re-define what smoking is. Their proposal would slap a maximum fine of $3300 on anyone caught using an e-cigarette on an airplane.

This is equal to the fine imposed for smoking a regular cigarette, which we and the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association (CASAA) find to be quite extreme and in violation of the 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.

CASAA’s advisory also says the DOT hasn’t produced any evidence to suggest that water vapor coming off an e-cigarette is harmful to bystanders…we certainly haven’t seen any evidence of this sort.

CASAA has a great advisory on the proposed regulations along with contact information for the agency. They’re accepting comments through Nov. 14th so we implore you to take a few moments and send a polite, yet firm comment to the DOT asking them to withdraw their proposal.

The advisory also includes links to several studies showing e-cigarettes to be on par with nicotine replacement therapies (gums, patches) in terms of toxicity.

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5 Reasons Others Frown on Smoking (…and how e-cigs can help you avoid them)

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

If you’re a smoker, or former smoker, how many times have you felt like people were looking at you with disdain for your habit? Perhaps some have even said “…you know that’s bad for you” or “…stop polluting my air” or other such statements.

The fact is this – smoking just isn’t the glamorous activity it once was. Smoking has been on a steady decline for a few decades now. People today are a bit more health conscious than they were even 10 years ago.

Besides people’s changing attitudes, there are many more restrictions on where you can light up. If you’ve flown on a plane, you’ve certainly heard the warnings about smoking on an airplane being a federal crime. Many states have passed indoor smoking bans…but New York City has a gone a step further by banning smoking in public altogether.

What’s led to this negative attitude toward smoking? Below are 5 negative effects of smoking that most people find objectionable.

  1. Odor/Smell
  2. Litter
  3. 2nd Hand Smoke
  4. Healthcare Costs
  5. Physical Appearance

For further explanation along with some ways electric cigarettes help you avoid these negative perceptions, check out our newest knowledge center article – 5 Reasons Society Frowns upon Smoking and How Electric Cigarettes Help you avoid them – today for more.

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Electronic Billboard Promoting E-Cigarettes Lights up Times Square

Friday, August 19th, 2011

In another sign of the gaining prominence of electronic cigarettes, the vaping devices recently lit up the nighttime with a paid promotion on CBS’ SuperScreen in New York’s Times Square.

The short ad seen in the video below was paid for by the National Vapers Club, a voluntary education organization consisting largely of vapers…the short ad was sponsored to help educate the public on the availability and benefits of e-cigarettes.

NVC’s message intention was to convey to smokers that alternatives are available.

“Our message is simple: Now smokers have a choice,” says NVC member Nathan Dunn.

“Without access to e-cigarettes, many of our members may return to smoking tobacco cigarettes. Some surveys show that over 80% of e-cigarette users felt that if the product was unavailable they might go back to smoking tobacco,” says Spike Babaian, president of the National Vapers Club.

“Many of our members quit smoking tobacco because their doctors told them their health depended on it,” says Spike.

Many of NVC’s members are former smokers.

While much back and forth has gone on over regulation of these devices, the FDA recently decided it would not appeal a federal court ruling ordering the agency to classify the devices as tobacco products rather than ‘drug delivery devices’….regulating e-cigs like this would have severely curtailed their availability.

In the original ruling, Judge Leon opines “… FDA cites no evidence that those electronic cigarettes have endangered anyone. Nor has FDA cited any evidence that electronic cigarettes are any more an immediate threat to public health and safety than traditional cigarettes, which are readily available to the public.”

But some states and localities have placed rather draconian restrictions on the use of these devices that emit vapor similar in composition to a fog machine.

Many of our customers are smokers looking for an alternative. While quitting is the best option for your health, e-cigarettes may present a good alternative that’s not so damaging.

Related Posts

FDA Decides Not to Appeal January Court Ruling – E-cigarettes to Be Regulated Like Tobacco

Researchers Claim Electronic Cigarettes Safer than Traditional Smokes

State E-Cigarette Legislation/Local Bans – Update

National Vapers Club Members Claim Electronic Cigarettes Help them Quit Smoking

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