DeSantis should veto ban on flavored vapors for adults
Coronavirus isn’t the only threat to Florida’s small businesses. A bill to ban adult purchases of flavored vapor, which is on its way to Governor Ron DeSantis’ desk, would wipe out thousands of small businesses across Florida.
The bill, S.B. 810, is dangerous and dishonest. I urge Gov. DeSantis to veto it.
According to an economic impact study from the Vapor Technology Association, the adult flavor ban will cost Florida more than $48.4 million in state and local tax revenue, eliminate 4,500 jobs, and remove $605 million from the state’s economy.
The reality is that this bill will not curb youth usage. It’s already illegal for people under 21 to buy nicotine products. Instead, it will close local businesses and harm adults who use these products as an alternative to cigarettes.
I started smoking in high school and continued that habit for 45 years. I struggled with the harmful effects of smoking, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema. I tried to quit. I tried everything, from the patch to Chantix, but none were successful. Then my doctor demanded that I go to a vape shop, which I did.
Vaping flavors is how I quit cigarettes. Vaping not only helped me stop smoking, it also addressed some of my underlying health conditions caused by cigarettes.
After witnessing how vaping helped me quit cigarettes, I wanted to help others do the same. Now I proudly work at a Florida vape shop. Like me, many of our customers are older people in their 60s and 70s who are seeking a solution to quit smoking combustible tobacco.
It is up to the governor to stop this adult flavor ban from crushing small business owners and forcing adults back to harmful cigarettes.
– Beth Chandler, Tallahassee
CARING AND AFRAID
As a critical-care nurse practitioner, I take care of sick people every day. On Sunday, I had to tell a woman she was going home, but her husband had to stay. When she cried, I desperately wanted to give her a hug, but I couldn’t — I was afraid. I will never forget how awful it made me feel to not be able to offer her basic human compassion — something she deserved. I don’t know if I will ever forgive myself for what I didn’t do.
Three nights earlier, another couple shared a hospital room. Before sunrise, the wife was alone to face life without her spouse.
I’ve watched people of all ages die. Many were healthy, some were young and all had relatives who couldn’t come see them in their final hours because of visiting restrictions.
I’ve seen this crisis bring out the best in some people and the worst in others. None of this makes me special. These tragic experiences are being repeated around the world.
Despite all of this, I remain hopeful. I know we can beat this — together. We can, and we will.
– Kevin Cho Tipton,
Miami
POWERFUL VIEWPOINT
The first article I read Sunday was Udonis Haslem’s front page piece. I was blown away by his perspective on the crisis and donated immediately to the charity he lauded. I thank the Herald for publishing this.
– Paula Smith, Aventura
DESANTIS WEAK
A leader signals his weakness when he locks out a reporter. For Gov. DeSantis to exclude from his press conference the Miami Herald’s Tallahasse bureau chief is a worrisome sign of his weakness and his fear at being found out.
I pity the governor for his cowardice when the times demand bravery, but I am righteously angry at seeing him at the helm of our state when we need a strong and secure leader. DeSantis forces us all to face a new horror: Our state is led by an insecure politician who finds questions from a smart woman scarier than COVID-19.
– Philip K. Stoddard,
South Miami
DYSTOPIAN TIMES
I am so profoundly surprised that anyone would recommend having their parents or grandparents sacrifice themselves for the economy of this country. My mother died at age 68 and my father at 87. I miss them every day of my life and wish my children had them in their lives.
This is not “The Hunger Games.” We don’t have to sacrifice anyone, but rather, should be looking to solve our nation’s lack of planning and foresight in the face of a pandemic with the proper directives from the president and our governors.
I won’t take my hat off to the writer of the March 27 letter “Difficult choice.” I can’t believe any compassionate person thinks this is a noble cause.
– Deborah Hibbitt,
Miami Springs
RENT IS DUE
As April 1 quickly approaches, many wonder what will happen with rent obligations. I am encouraged by several tenants who have proactively informed me, their landlord, that rent will be paid on the first.
Rental payments translate into jobs for property managers, custodians, tradesmen and landscapers.
They support households that depend on the income to pay for expenses and put food on the table. Most important, paying rent allows landlords the ability to better help those tenants who have lost their jobs and do not have reserves.
When tragedy strikes, we must all do our part to help ease the burden. While evictions may be temporarily suspended, meeting our obligation to the extent possible is one way of helping others in need during this challenging time.
– Robert Wolfarth,
Miami Beach
‘GOV. FLORIDA MAN’
Many of us can’t think of living anywhere else. Or we already have and came here because the weather is great and the rest is, shall we say, a work in progress. Regardless, Florida gets a uniquely bad rap around the country. We screwed up the 2000 election and have a bunch of goofballs, meth-heads and yahoos scattered around the state’s Walmarts and Winn-Dixies periodically doing something so bizarre it makes the national news and become a social-media sensation.
Now we have a governor who acts as though he’s oblivious to the pandemic, failing to put the most basic, commonsense measures in place or waiting until he’s shamed into doing so. Even then, he makes a lame effort, and ultimately follows others’ leads.
Good thing our cities and counties, for the most part, have a firm grasp of the obvious, even if he clearly does not.
To add a cherry on top of this sundae of stupidity, he recently blocked a reporter’s access to a press briefing because she might ask a tough question or two. That would be hard for the poor guy.
Some nerve!
So it’s really no surprise that, after years of shame and ignominy, we finally got what we deserve: Florida Man is now governor. Yay?
– Richard Pachter, Boca Raton
POWERFUL VIEWPOINT
The first article I read Sunday was Udonis Haslem’s front page piece. I was blown away by his perspective on the crisis and donated immediately to the charity he lauded. I thank the Herald for publishing this.
– Paula Smith, Aventura
‘STIRRING WORDS’
I thank the Miami Herald for publishing the March 29 story “‘I’m going to say my piece’ on pandemic spring break,” Udonis Haslem’s take on Miami in the midst of the coronavirus crisis. It was just the push I needed to stop thinking about it and actually make a long-overdue donation to Feeding South Florida.
I thank Haslem for his stirring words. The truth was never better told.
– Paula Mandell,
Miami
STANDARD-BEARER
Many thanks to Udonis Haslem for the perfectly stated article. He is truly one of Miami’s champions. – Bonnie Crook, Miami Lakes
OPEN BEACHES, PARKS
Miami Beach feels like occupied territory. The beaches, parks, hotels, restaurants and businesses are closed — exacerbating unemployment. Add to that our schizophrenic government, isolation and fear of contagion.
Our country is going nuts!
We need a much more compassionate response. The outdoor spaces that have been closed could offer respite from all our anxieties. Instead of policing the entrances to ensure that no one can use the beach or parks, we should open outdoor spaces and monitor physical distancing. Gyms are closed, so the easiest exercise is walking. But with outdoor areas closed, the walkways are crowded, exposing us to the virus.
The students have gone home. We need to experiment by opening beaches and parks, and figure out how to use these spaces safely.
– Terry Lowman, Miami Beach