As most of you are aware, there are many people out there who don't fully understand vaping, or those who have a vested interest in doing away with vaping as we know it altogether(big tobacco). This part of our website will be dedicated to helping inform you, the vape consumer, of what is going on, and how to fight against unfair taxes, regulations, and all out bans of electronic cigarette products. We will add information that we believe is relevant as we are made aware of it. If YOU know of some nasty legislation going on in your area that we do not have posted here yet, please use our "Contact Us" page to let us know about it, a link to an article would be best.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Donations or Memberships are 1 method of supporting electronic cigarettes advocacy efforts. There are many other ways . Voting, letters, E-mails and phone calls to elected representatives for example. It is well known that elected representatives can check if the persons that contact them are registered Voters [the only ones they are concerned with typically]. The free membership at CASSA and the Vaping Militia will regularly give pointers on ways to be an effective advocate for electronic cigarettes.
The percent of Vapers Involved in Advocacy Efforts is astonishingly low. Every vaper who decides to become Involved in advocacy efforts is a great asset to the battle for reasonable regulation of the electronic cigarette industry. Every vape shop that joins an industry trade organization is a step forward. Vape shops and vapers that become involved in their local community in any way, such as becoming a member of their local chamber of commerce, joining the board of a local non-profit or even coaching a little league baseball or softball team becomes a part of the local community at large and has a louder voice when testifying at city council meetings and making business and social contacts outside the vape industry or community. Often these contacts have insider knowledge about what is happening at the local government level, therefore, increasing the chance to be heard at the early stages local ordinances. Attending the local health board and city council committee meetings [open to the public] is a very effective means of getting ones voice heard before minds are already made up by local officials i.e. the city council public reading of the proposed ordinance.
YOUR PARTICIPATION WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED AND WELCOMED BY THE ADVOCACY COMMUNITY.
The Florida Smoke Free Association is an advocacy group and trade organization with a focus on Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR). They focus on the prevention of tobacco harm and seek to cooperate with the Florida Health Agencies to function for the greater health of the Florida public as well as monitoring the legislation for or against their movement of tobacco harm reduction. For more information and to keep up with Florida Legislation that will effect your rights to vape like their page to follow them. https://www.Facebook.com/flsmokefree
The Vaping Militia is committed to protecting the rights and health of vapers by advocating for safe public use of personal vaporizers. They strongly believe and promote peaceful and professional activism/advocacy. You can join the Vaping Militia Facebook Group for free here>> https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevapingmilitia/
The Vaping Milita has 2 membership levels; A yearly membership at $30 a year and a Trooper level membership at $20 a month. With either level you will recieve a pair of The Vaping Militia Dogtags. http://thevapingmilitia.org/becomeamember/
CASAA Mission Statement – Our mission is to ensure the availability of effective, affordable and reduced harm alternatives to smoking by increasing public awareness and education; to encourage the testing and development of products to achieve acceptable safety standards and reasonable regulation; and to promote the benefits of reduced harm alternatives.
CASSA is focused like laser beam on electronic cigarettes presently, as they are now the most widely used THRproduct, also the electronic cigarette industry is now the focus of regulation by Federal, State and Local Governments. Other tobacco harm reduction products are considered tobacco products and are already overly regulated, in my opinion. It is easier to fight over-regulation of electronic cigarettes then to rescind Regulations already in Place.
Joining CASAA is Free– http://www.casaa.org/Become_a_Member.html CASSA Accepts Donations>>
http://www.casaa.org/Donate_LKWE.html and has a Online Store that sells Vaping Advocacy Gear [T Shirts, Decals] Also, they sell CASSA Vender Counter Displays for Vaping Businesses in the CASAA store
SFATA is a trade industry advocacy organization for the electronic cigarettes industry. This Link is to SFATA’s Statement of Principles page-http://sfata.org/about-sfata/statement-of-principles/
SFATA has a Membership Option at the consumer level http://sfata.org/membership/membership-application/
Its is $150 a yr for a consumer level membership. You can join and receive a weekly e-mail newsletter from SFATA.
VISTA Truth – A Vaping Industry Supported Proactive Advocacy Non-Profit Corporation - VISTA is a non-profit that is funded by vaping industry businesses with a primary goal of raising the necessary monies to hire lobbyists in every state to proactively advocate for our business rights. The goal is to establish relationships with elected officials in every state, and help to educate them so they can make informed decisions based in truth, and not on bad information, which is happening daily at present, and WILL negatively impact our businesses.This will allow business owners, to have a voice in laws that affect our ability continue to do, and shape the manner in which we conduct, business. Their approach is one of truth, common sense legislation, and good business practices. You can join as a business or individual at http://www.vistatruth.org/membership/join/
Please spread the word to fellow vaping related business owners as well. Individually, we can not accomplish much; united, we can help shape the industry and protect our rights in each state…before it’s too late.
The American Vaping Association works hard to spread truth and awareness about the benefits of electronic cigarettes. The American Vaping Association is a nonprofit organization that advocates for small- and medium-sized businesses in the rapidly growing vaping and electronic cigarette industry. We are dedicated to educating the public and government officials about financial and public health benefits offered by vapor products, which are battery-powered devices that heat a liquid nicotine or nicotine-free solution and create an inhalable vapor If you're a vendor and interested in sponsoring the American Vaping Association feel free to email board@vaping.info.