Alabama Smoke-free Air Amendment of 2012
Link to SB197 and SB198
These bills would:
Ban the use of e-cigarettes in any public place where smoking is prohibited.
Two bills have been introduced into the Alabama State Senate which would add the use of electronic cigarettes to the definition of smoking. They have been referred to the Standing Health Committee, but have yet to be added to the agenda.
Please call, write or fax the members of the Senate Health Committee and bill sponsor/co-sponsors listed below.
What to say:
1. You would like them to amend definition (17) SMOKE or SMOKING to replace the last sentence of the definition with this text, “The term does not include the use of an e-cigarette or any other type of smoke-free product.”
2. Tell your story on how switching to an e-cigarette or smokeless tobacco has changed your life.
3. Explain how electronic cigarette use is easy to distinguish from actual smoking. Although some e-cigarettes resemble real cigarettes, many do not. It is easy to tell when someone lights a cigarette, from the smell of smoke. E-cigarette vapor is practically odorless, and generally any detectable odor is not unpleasant and smells nothing like smoke.
4. Let them know that vapor does not behave in the same manner as smoke. There is no “side stream” vapor like the side stream smoke coming from the lit end of a cigarette. There is also no ash or litter. With so little evidence of use, enforcing indoor use bans on electronic cigarettes would be nearly impossible.
5. Inform them that the ability to use electronic cigarettes in public spaces will actually improve public health by inspiring other smokers to switch. Surveys of thousands of users indicate that the majority of those who switch, completely replace tobacco cigarettes with the electronic cigarettes, reducing their health risks by 98-99%.
6. Tell them that by switching to a smokeless product, you have greatly reduced your health risks.
7. Direct them to the CASAA.org website for more information.
Contact information:
Health Committee
SENATOR GREG REED (R) Chair (Bill Co-sponsor)
5th District
State House, Room 734
11 S. Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7894
SENATOR PAUL BUSSMAN (R) Vice Chair (Bill Co-sponsor)
4th District
State House, Room 729
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7855
(256) 734-1700
SENATOR BILLY BEASLEY (D) (Bill Co-sponsor)
28th District
State House, Room 737
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7868
(334) 775-3291
SENATOR SLADE BLACKWELL (R)
15th District
State House, Room 733
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7851
(205) 396-1144
SENATOR LINDA COLEMAN (D) (Bill Co-sponsor)
20th District
State House, Room 735
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7864
(205) 254-2079
Fax: (205) 254-2505
SENATOR GERALD DIAL (R)
Majority Whip
13th District
State House, Room 732
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7874
(256) 396-5600
(256) 396-5626
SENATOR HARRI ANNE SMITH (I) (Bill Co-sponsor)
29th District
State House, Room 740
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7879
(334) 699-3208
(334) 886-2367
Fax: (334) 886-2364
SENATOR CAM WARD (R)
14th District
State House, Room 719
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7873
(205) 664-1066
(205) 664-6848
SENATOR J. T. “JABO” WAGGONER (R) (Bill Co-sponsor)
Senate Majority Leader
16th District
State House, Room 726
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7892
(205) 978-7405
Fax: (334) 242-2278
Fax: (205) 978-7406
SENATOR TOM WHATLEY (R)
27th District
State House, Room 733
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7865
(334) 209-0831
Fax: (334) 826-7700
Bill Sponsor
SENATOR VIVIAN DAVIS FIGURES (D)
33rd District
State House, Room 736
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7871
(251) 208-5480
Fax: (251) 208-5492
Additional Bill Co-sponsors
SENATOR RODGER MELL SMITHERMAN (D)
18th District
State House, Room 737
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7870
(205) 322-3768
(205) 322-0012
Fax: (205) 324-2000
SENATOR JERRY FIELDING (D)
11th District
State House, Room 735
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7898
SENATOR TAMMY IRONS (D)
1st District
State House, Room 737
11 S. Union Street
Montgomery, AL 36130
(334) 242-7888
(256) 335-3600
(256) 766-9201
Fax: (256) 766-9220
SENATOR BOBBY SINGLETON (D)
24th District
State House, Room 735
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
Phone: (334) 242-7935
Fax: (334) 242-7191
SENATOR QUINTON T. ROSS, Jr. (D)
26th District
State House, Room 735
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7880
(334) 280-2963
Fax: (334) 353-9625
SENATOR DEL MARSH (R)
President Pro Tempore
12th District
State House, Room 722
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7877
(256) 237-1931
(256) 237-8647
Fax: (256) 237-1579
SENATOR MARC KEAHEY (D)
22nd District
State House, Room 738
11 South Union Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36130
(334) 242-7843
(251) 275-3541
(251) 275-3127
Comma separated email list:
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Semi-colon separated email list:
[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Source: http://www.casaa.org/CTA/article.asp?articleID=232&l=a&p
