Currently, Mayor Michael Bloomberg of NYC, the billionaire who changed the law to stay in office for a third term, is trying to ban outdoor smoking in New York City parks and beaches. This has nothing to do with health, but rather believing that ‘children should not have to see smokers’ and further demonizing and de-normalizing smokers and tobacco. The Nanny State is in overdrive …. read the IPCPR alert below about the town of Denville, NJ …. if you smoke outdoors in Denville, you can be imprisoned… (yes, Denville, NJ is in America, land of the free…)
Denville, New Jersey July 15, 2010– The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association believes the recently enacted smoking ban in Denville, New Jersey is ‘over the top’ because, among other reasons, it could land errant smokers in jail.
The Denville town council earlier this week enacted an anti-smoking ordinance which is effective August 10 and will include parking lots, bleachers, playgrounds and adjoining sidewalks among the prohibited locations. A fine of up to $100 or up to two days of community service will be applied to first-time offenders which second-time offenders could face up to a $250 fine or five days of community service.
According to the ordinance, third time offenders will face up to a $500 fine or community service of at least 10 days or any combination of fine, imprisonment and community service determined by the municipal court.
The ordinance applies to cigars, cigarettes, pipes, ‘or any other matter or substance which contains tobacco.’
“This is over the top as far as abuse of individual rights goes,” said Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR. “Yes, many municipalities have banned smoking on city properties, but few equal the onerous penalties implied with Denville’s ban.”
McCalla wondered what the council’s motivation was.
“It can’t be claims of littering, because there are laws against littering and it doesn’t make sense to clutter the codes with more unenforced laws. It certainly can’t be related to secondhand smoke, because it has been proven that there are, indeed, safe levels of secondhand smoke as established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the United States Department of Labor, especially outdoors,” he said.
“We can only assume that the council has been duped by anti-smoking forces who use unscientific and often false claims to support their outlandish allegations.”
McCalla said that property owners – even cities – have the right to decide whether or not to allow or ban smoking on their properties. However, sentences of high fines, community service and even jail are ‘going too far.’
“There are other, more serious infractions of existing laws that don’t come near to the levels of penalties that could be applied to smoking ban offenders. That’s going too far. The council members have taken far too much power into their hands in an effort to legislate the behavior of their constituents,” McCalla said.
###
Contact: Tony Tortorici
678-493-0313
tony@tortoricipr.com
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by acigarsmoker.com, tobacconistu. tobacconistu said: Bloomberg, The Billionaire Dictator Must Be Jealous – in New Jersey you can already go to jail for smoking… http://fb.me/DYa25pWz [...]
This has become a major issue in many cities across Canada as well.
I just received this. Please read it. Plan to attend. Tell your friends,
Post it to your boards, Send it to your Cigar Shops, Send it to your smoking buddies.
We must stand up for our rights, as the Nanny Bloomberg Administration attempts to take more of them away. And make us second class citizens, banned from smoking in public & some of the New No Smoking apartment buildings.
IPCPR should put their petition & a blank petition form Online to gather signatures. Blanks for retailers that don’t have one.
WE should plan a gathering of smokers Prior to, & after the Sept. 23rd hearing. We should go into the hearing as a visible force.
After being in the Adult industry, in NYC. before retiring. I have seen what happens when city politics go unchallenged. We must fight back with a visible force.
The Adult industry fought the 60/40 zoning law & prevailed. Smokers, retailers, dealers, & manufactures can win the new proposed Smoking Ban additions. And show we are not second class citizens.
Please feel free to contact me.
Lenny Waller
smdad@optonlin.net
(347)-297-8501 Home Cell (917)-309-0863
Sunday Links & NYC Tobacco News
Posted by Barry on August 29th, 2010
It seems to me that New York is trying to become the anti-smoking leader in the USA. I received yesterday and email from the New York Tobacconist Association about a meeting the New York State Senate Health Committee holding a public hearing on September 23 at 10 AM taking place 250 Broadway, 19th Fl., New York City. The Committee will meet to learn how the state’s regulation of smoking and tobacco products works to improve the health of all New Yorkers and any actions needed for continued benefits.
On the table are the following items:
Smoking on playgrounds during the day when children under 12 present but prevents fineable/jail enforcement
Smoking on train platforms
Smoking near playgrounds
Smoking in cars with someone under 14
Raises age 18 to 19 for tobacco statewide
Sale of e-cigarettes to minors
Definition of e-cigarettes
Prohibition of tobacco sales in pharmacies
Prohibition of tobacco vending machines 350 feet from schools/places of worship
Statewide flavor ban bills with the fines and complaint system in place (Paulin bill)
Manufacturer reports to DoH
We need every retailer to attend this meeting as well as customers and manufactures We must overwhelm them and show the legislators that enough is enough and we are not going to put up with the endless harassment, persecution, and discrimination. This prohibition by increments stops now. Failure is not an option!