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Councilor Singer,
With respect, I am amazed. I am 100% convinced that there will never be any
research that comes to the conclusion that nicotine is anything except
dangerous and addicting. If that’s what you are waiting for, it simply
won’t happen.
My humble opinion:
– Knowing what we already know about nicotine (visit the Surgeon General’s
website), you should have voted in favor of my (our) family’s safety, and
waited for the research that says it is safe (which will never happen),
instead of the other way around. If the data you saw was inconclusive, err
on the side of caution!
– The penalties could easily be adjusted in the ordinance, simply ask that
it be so. You run the city – this is a weak position for you to stand upon.
– And no one is denying these folks the right to kill themselves. They just
have to go outside, so they don’t poison me and my wife and daughter, same
as tobacco.
– It’s even worse that tobacco. I can smell tobacco and get the heck away
from the menace. In the case of e-cigs, I may be breathing this poison
without even knowing it!
– Meanwhile, we either agree to get poisoned in eateries, movie theaters,
city council meetings, etc., or we have to get up and leave in the middle of
the meal, movie, meeting…..
Sorry, there’s no way you can convince me that common sense was applied in
this case. With that said, I have to choose my actions. They are:
– Get up and leave the e-cig environment, even in the middle of the meal. I
will kindly explain to the owners that I won’t pay for the meal they have
served, and ask them to appeal to you and the Council for relief. Same in
the movie theater, etc.
– Campaign on this issue at election time. There are a lot of families in
this town who don’t want their children exposed to nicotine, especially when
it’s often undetectable, as in e-cigs. I am putting money away as we speak
for the mailers.
Sorry to be so blunt, but it’s important to me that I speak out on this
issue. If you choose to take another look at this issue, please let me
know, contact info below…………
Joe Panella
