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ACTION ALERT

You should be furious about paying an additional $13.50 for a carton of cigarettes.  Obama pledged there would be no new taxes on any one making under $250,000 dollars and then turned right around and signed the SCHIP bill.  For those of you who may not know what SCHIP is, it is a Federal and state funded program for children to receive free medical insurance.  Obama, using your money, is expanding it to include 4 million children of illegal aliens and millions of families making up to $85,000.   So if you don’t have health insurance for your children sign up today, at least, some American smoker's will be able to reap the benefits! http://www.insurekidsnow.gov/

Rep. Henry Waxman

The Democrats heady with power are moving forward to put tobacco under FDA.  What does the mean? The cigarette you know and enjoy will no longer exist.  The bill HR 1103, sponsor Henry Waxman (known to have ties to the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation) from the great state of lala land has passed the House faster than a four alarm fire!   Highlights of HR 1103 are as follows:

1.Nicotine is an addictive drug.  Really??? They seem to have forgotten that it is a natural substance found in many vegetables!

2.Tobacco use is the foremost preventable cause of premature death in America.  It causes over 400,000 deaths in America. LIE!  Read Lies, lies and damn lies!

3.It is in the public interest for Congress to adopt legislation to address the public health crisis created by actions of the tobacco industry. Another LIE.

4.Tobacco dependence is a chronic disease, one that typically requires repeated interventions to achieve long-term or permanent abstinence.  I.E.  anyone who smokes is mentally incompetent to make a choice.

5.Because the only known safe alternative to smoking is cessation, interventions should target all smoker to help them quit.  What they really mean here is to force your to quit.

6.Recent studies have demonstrated that there has been no reduction in risk on a population wide basis from “low tar” and “light” cigarettes and such products may actually increase the risk of tobacco use.   Oh really?  Try a Carlton and then a Camel and let me know if there is a difference.

7. to ensure that the Food and Drug Administration has the authority to address issues of particular concern to public health officials, especially the use of tobacco by young people and dependence  on tobacco; We have laws on the books in every state not to sell to minors under the age of 18.

8. to authorize the Food and Drug Administration to set national standards controlling the  manufacture of tobacco products and the identity,  public disclosure, and amount of ingredients used in such products;

9. to provide new and flexible enforcement authority to ensure that there is effective oversight of the tobacco industry’s efforts to develop, introduce, and promote less harmful tobacco products;

10. to vest the Food and Drug Administration with the authority to regulate the levels of tar, nicotine, and other harmful components of tobacco products; to promote cessation to reduce disease risk and the social costs associated with tobacco related diseases; and to strengthen legislation against illicit trade in tobacco products. Smoke them if you got them cause you won't have them long.

To read the full text click here.

This is just the bill, if passed, FDA will introduce regulations which may be stronger than the bill itself.

What are the tobacco companies doing?  Nothing!  Phillip Morris  has plenty to say against their own product, so does RJ Reynolds and Lorrilard.   If you were looking for help from them FORGET IT!

We are on our own, so race to www.senate.gov, find your legislator and strongly urge him/her to vote against this legislation today.  Since the Democrats control the Senate this bill will breeze through if you do not take action!

Virginia now has a smoking ban thanks to Speaker of the House Howell and Gov. Kaine, with funding by Big Pharma through ACS, ALA & AHA.

We still we be allowed to smoke outside (how nice of them) and in whatever restaurants' choose to spend the money for a ventilation system and a separate room.  All this in a recession, if not a depression.  The restaurant business which had been doing well since smokers from Maryland and the District  came to Virginia to eat and smoke, will be staying at home.  Kaine won't be here to take any responsibility for  adding to the recession since he has been chosen to head up the DNC.

However, they will be back next year to tighten the ban have no doubt about it. 

Let's not forget about the election in November, vote the bums out who voted for the smoking ban in Virginia.  Here is how the House and Senate voted.

House

YEAS--Albo, Alexander, Amundson, Armstrong, Barlow, Bell, Bouchard, Bowling, Brink, Bulova, Caputo, Carrico, Cosgrove, Cox, Crockett-Stark, Dance, Ebbin, Eisenberg, Englin, Hamilton, Hargrove, Herring, Howell, A.T., Hull, Iaquinto, Joannou, Johnson, Jones, Knight, Landes, Lingamfelter, Marsden, Marshall, R.G., Mathieson, May, McClellan, Melvin, Miller, J.H., Miller, P.J., Morgan, Morrissey, Nichols, Oder, Orrock, Phillips, Plum, Poisson, Purkey, Rust, Scott, J.M., Shannon, Spruill, Tata, Toscano, Tyler, Valentine, Vanderhye, Ward, Watts, Mr. Speaker--60.

NAYS--Abbitt, Athey, Byron, Cline, Cole, Fralin, Frederick, Gear, Gilbert, Griffith, Hall, Hogan, Ingram, Janis, Kilgore, Lewis, Lohr, Loupassi, Marshall, D.W., Massie, McQuinn, Merricks, Nixon, Nutter, O'Bannon, Peace, Pogge, Poindexter, Pollard, Putney, Saxman, Scott, E.T., Sherwood, Shuler, Ware, O., Ware, R.L., Wright--37.

ABSTENTIONS--0.

NOT VOTING--BaCote, Hugo, Sickles--3.

Senate
(partial list)

VOTING YES

Republicans (7)

Blevins, Chesapeake; Norment, James City; Quayle, Suffolk; Stolle, Virginia Beach; Stuart, Westmoreland; Vogel, Winchester; Wagner, Virginia Beach.

Democrats (20)

Barker, Fairfax County; Colgan, Prince William; Deeds, Bath; Edwards, Roanoke; Herring, Loudoun; Houck, Spotsylvania; Howell, Fairfax County; Locke, Hampton; Lucas, Portsmouth; Marsh, Richmond; McEachin, Henrico; Miller, J.C., Newport News; Miller, Y.B., Norfolk; Northam, Norfolk; Petersen, Fairfax County; Puckett, Russell; Puller, Fairfax County; Saslaw, Fairfax County; Ticer, Alexandria; Whipple, Arlington.

VOTING NO

Republicans (12)

Cuccinelli, Fairfax County; Hanger, Augusta; Hurt, Pittsylvania; Martin, Chesterfield; McDougle, Hanover; Newman, Lynchburg; Obenshain, Harrisonburg; Ruff, Mecklenburg; Smith, Botetourt; Stosch, Henrico; Wampler, Bristol; Watkins, Powhatan.

Democrats (1)

ACTION ALERT

The anti's follow the same playbook county by county, state by state.  The goal is to make it impossible to smoke, they want you to purchase one of the many nicotine products; patches, gum, lozenge, inhaler and pills, like Champix, which has caused heart attacks in users.  They don't care about you.  The Robert Woods Johnson Foundation spent $99 million dollars from 1992 through 2002, and have continued for the last six years to launder money through the America Cancer Society, Heart and Lung Associations to lobby for smoking bans nationally and internationally spending millions more .  Why?  The usual reason, corporate GREED.  They anticipate sales of 46 Billion dollars globally on their deadly products!

They are joined by Glaxo Wellcome, Norvartis, Consumer Health and Pharmacia & Upjohn, all manufacturers of smoking cessation devices.

Freedom Works has set up a letter for you, all you have to do is fill in your name and address.  Please go there now and let the Virginia legislature know that you don't support a smoking ban in Virginia.  Nothing is inevitable, one person can make a difference.  This is your opportunity to participate in your future because no one is going to do it for you!

FREEDOM WORKS

If this isn't your issue, then look at what Big Pharma has in store for you, they want to control you behavior which includes but is not limited to food, fat and liquor.  KNOW THE ENEMY and stop donating to Cancer, Heart and Lung because they are the culprits who agreed to carry Big Pharma's campaign, instead of finding a cure. 

Over a $100 million dollars has been spent on lobbyist to create smoking bans in the U.S.A. which could have been spent funding real research, instead of fabricated junk science against 45 million smokers.

The Virginia Smokers Alliance, has enlisted the help of Epitome to analysis the 2006 Surgeon General's Report “The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke” which has been used as a basis for smoking bans across the United States.

The SG's report has been controversial and hotly debated by scientist all over the world. Now you can read a totally unbiased report done outside of the USA. 

Have a seat, light up and read the report you will find it invaluable in the days to come.

We want to thank Epitome for producing a important document that debunks the false and misleading data that has been forced upon the public by Big Pharma.

Sign our petition today to stop the smoking ban in 2009!

Democratic Principles, Freedom of Choice and Constitutional Rights
      Versus
Legislations Based on Myths.
(click on the above)

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Epitome is based in the city of Bangalore, India and provides services to clients in US. The Company has been promoted by highly qualified American and Indian professionals with vast experience and expertise in the areas of Law, Accounting and Business Consulting. Epitome provides professional services to some of the most reputed organizations in US and has carved a niche for itself in providing the most cost effective professional services and helping its clients in saving close to 40% is costs of running their business. For details of services provided and the process followed please visit our website www.epitomeltd.com

Epitome has reviewed and evaluated the various authentic reports, research findings, legal positions, socio-economic issues and also the position taken by other Developed Countries in regards to the myth relating to health hazards of ETS. Epitome has compiled the findings of their research in this document. Epitome has undertaken this assignment voluntarily under its Corporate Social Responsibility program, wherein specific issues which affect the fundamental rights of the people are taken up for study and the findings are made public for the purpose of informing the public and assisting organizations such as Virginia Smokers Alliance in their efforts of protecting citizens rights and freedom.